The best

• red wine
• white wine
• champagne
• rosé
• whisky
• spirits
• beer

deals in Australia

The most northern of Suenen’s Oiry parcels, La Cocluette is also home to the domaine’s oldest vines (planted in 1925), a site where the ancient roots bury deep into the dense Campanian chalk (the younger plantings from this site go into the Oiry Blanc de Blancs). Vines of this age are as rare as hens’ teeth in Champagne, and they gift tiny yields of concentrated berries. The land here is largely flat with a somewhat northern exposure. Here the base wine fermented naturally and aged for nine months in one 700-litre concrete egg and one 600-litre Stockinger barrel (the same that is used each year). It then aged sur lies for 60 months in bottle until disgorgement in July 2022, when it was dosed with 3 g/L. Suenen explains that the wines from this vineyard express themselves with great finesse. “The energy brought by this calcium-rich terroir makes the mouthfeel richer through a silky bubble. With time, the finish lengthens on a salivating mineral vibrancy.” Put another way, this is a more intense and complex expression of this region’s naked-chalk terroir than the NV Oiry

Majestic, highly complex and individual, the Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is the flagship cuvée of the house of Pol Roger. The Champagne is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced exclusively from Grand Cru vineyards. Made only in exceptional years the exact blend is a family secret. Made in honour of Sir Winston Churchill the first release was in 1975.

Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart Brut, Champagne The name Billecart-Salmon comes from the joining of two families by the marriage of Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon. This prestige cuvée vintage Champagne, first created in 1964, is named in honour of co-founder Nicolas François. "The mark of Billecart is made not by the heavy foot?all of concentration, power and presence, but rather by the fairy touch of delicacy and crystal/clear fidelity."- Tyson Stelzer, The Champagne Guide. 60% Montagne de Reims pinot noir, 40% Côte des Blancs Chardonnay; 18% barrel-fermented in old oak casks; no malolactic fermentation; 4g/L dosage

The Bollinger La Grande Année is the pinnacle of Bollingers Champagne styles and is produced only in the best years. Fruit is sourced entirely from Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyard sites in Champagne. The base wine was aged solely in old oak barrels, providing additional depth and nutty complexity. After secondary fermentation, the wine is aged on lees for more than five years before disgorgement. La Grande Année shows complexity and richness from the long ageing on lees and oaked base wines used in the cuve. The wine typically displays richness and depth of toast and bready characters, creamy palate texture, chalky minerality and great persistence. A vintage style it can be enjoyed upon release or carefully cellared for up to 10 years.

The addition of the red wine is evident as this is more deeply hued than the NV Rosé. Ripe aromas of cherry, strawberry, rose petal, citrus and yeast give way to impressively voluminous and rich flavors that possess excellent mid-palate concentration.