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The C + C Blanc de Blancs is blended from nine parcels across both north and south-facing hillsides in Cramant and Chouilly, including Les Robarts and Le Mont-Aigu. The oldest vines date back to 1951. The average depth of the soils of these parcels is marginally deeper than Oiry, with silty clay overlaying the chalk. In Suenen’s plots on Cramant’s eastern slope—Les Robarts, Les Basses Croix, Les Fourches du Nord, Les Vignes de Mardu—the soils measure one metre before the roots meet the chalk. In Chouilly, it’s closer to 60 cm. This extra depth, along with a good dose of southern exposure, makes for a more hedonistic wine. The blend is split between Cramant (70%) and Chouilly (30%). Although tempted to bottle each village separately, Suenen has found the two villages work even better as a blend; the textural finesse of Cramant marries perfectly to the more layered personality of Chouilly. Again, the wine aged on lees for nine months in enamelled tank (50%) and in used Burgundy oak barrels and demi-muid. It then aged for 30 months in bottle with no fining, no filtration and no cold stabilisation.

Disg. Sep 23. First released in 1998, long before the concept of single-vineyard Champagnes became popular, this Blanc de Blancs was historically labelled Vieille Vigne de Cramant. Little has changed, save for the name, which is now inspired by 1960-planted Bourron du Levant, the vineyard from which most of the grapes come. The balance comes from a 0.5-hectare holding in the neighbouring terroir Le Fond du Bâteau (with 85-year-old vines). Both plots are at the heart of Cramant’s southeast-facing slopes on the flanks of the Butte de Saran. Basking in the first rays of the morning sun, these vineyards give wonderfully ripe, layered wines. The old vines’ deep root system combines with the terroir to bring a wine of glowing density and opulence. It offers a fascinating, concentrated and stone-fruited contrast to the other Larmandier cuvées (not to mention other producers’ Cramant wines). It remains a super-mineral wine, but you have more flesh, weight and body here. The winemaking is similar across each of Larmandier’s single-terroir wines. Here, it is spontaneous fermentation and malolactic fermentation, 12 months in large Stockinger barrels and no filtration. This cuvée, however, spends at least eight years in bottle on lees. The 2014 was disgorged with 2 g/L dosage.

Disg. Apr 2024. Les Chemins d’Avize debuted in 2009. For this cuvée, the Larmandier family vinifies fruit from two tiny plots in the heart of Avize (Chemin de Plivot, planted in 1955, and Chemin de Flavigny, planted in 1960). Both are chalky parcels with very little topsoil and lie on the lower slopes of Avize, not far from Agrapart and Selosse’s La Fosse vineyard. “Initially, it was really tough for the vines to grow here, the soil is so hard,” Arthur Larmandier told us. “Now, they make really, really great wines.” The winemaking is similar to the other cuvées, save for the use of smaller, neutral barrels due to the smaller quantities of wine produced. The wines age in bottle for a minimum of five years and are then disgorged by hand with only 2 g/L dosage. It’s a stunning, racy example of Avize, a little deeper than Terre de Vertus, though more delicate and less fleshy than this grower’s Vieille Vigne du Levant.

Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque is one of the world's truly great elegant Champagnes. Named after the 'golden age' in France during the late 19th century, Belle Époque is still today bottled in the striking hand-painted bottle that is instantly recognisable the world over. A 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 5% Pinot Meunier, the strength of this prestige cuvée is in its finesse and elegance rather than power or fruit. Adding to this spectacular Champagne's aura of grace and class was the fact that is was personally chosen to be the Champagne poured at the Monaco wedding of HRH Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene.

Lark is Tasmanian whisky, proudly unique in character and style. Entirely made by hand with no more than 100 litres at a time, Lark's 58% Cask Strength expression is widely regarded as 'one of the world's best cask strength whiskies', winning numerous international medals and trophies. Surprisingly easy to drink at this strength, the whisky driven by a more rich malty alcohol, perfectly dominating the floral and crýme caramel notes to reveal layers of Tasmanian malt bursting across the palate, finishing with lengthy maple syrup sweet notes of highland peat and oily spice.

Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque is known throughout the world not only for their classic, complex and artisan sparkling wine, but also the magnificent artwork on each of the Belle Époque bottles. The artwork is a homage to glassmaker Emile Gallé who painted a special bottle that was found in 1902 in a nondescript cupboard gathering dust. The Belle Époque Rosé is a smooth and finely chiselled, subtle and rich wine, with myriad floral notes and a long finish, to be enjoyed as an aperitif, throughout the evening.