Smells positively rich! Though it’s notably dry, even drying, on the palate. Quite smoky and reduced and slightly hard work for the moment though it should mellow with time in bottle.

Very, very concentrated and dense with some salinity and really juicy. 'We call it the Chevalier-Montrachet of Champagne because it's discreet rather than showy', according to Lécaillon. Markedly savoury, and indeed not entirely unlike modern, slightly austere white burgundy. Definite chewiness on the end and a bottle that should ideally be kept awhile. But, presumably thanks to warmer summers and organically grown vines, it's more open than Cristal used to be on release.

Filigreed elegance, showing subtle red fruit over buttery toasted bread, white chocolate and lemon zest with essential oils. Fine pinprick mousse with medium to full body and zesty yet integrated acidity. The long, strawberry-pie finish is mineral and precise, not without grip yet still refined. Drink or hold.

Very subtle rosé hue, almost a brut non-rosé in colour. Leafy, soft and silky on the palate. Raspberry/strawberry cut with lemon acidity and a mineral streak. A fine vintage rosé.

A touch of yellow pear flashes up on the nose, immediately signalling both ripeness and the sense of juiciness that pervades the entire wine. This is accompanied by some ripe Mirabelle plum and only restrained hints of creaminess. The palate is pure, and even juicier than the nose, shining with as much clarity as roundness. The absence of dosage pushes both ripeness and structure centre stage and underlines a sense of clarity, while the finest phenolic frame corrals the fruit. Harvested from a south-facing, concave hillside in the village of Cumières that slopes down to the river Marne, this is clearly ripe, but also still embryonic. Beautifully juicy and clear right now, this will gain with further bottle age.