A very complex and toasty nose with nicely cut, autolytic, reductive kick that adds flinty notes to the lemons and pink grapefruit, as well as fresh, lightly spiced pastry. The palate has a super fluid and attractively fresh feel with a bold, sweetly fruited core that delivers a long, succulent and elegant finish. This is in form! Drink or hold.

The 2012 Brut Belle Époque Blanc de Blancs from Perrier-Jouët is a real success, wafting from the glass with aromas of white fruits, ripe orchard fruits, spring flowers, almonds and citrus oil. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, it’s charming and concentrated with a fleshy core of fruit and a long, vibrant and mineral-chalky finish that should guarantee its graceful evolution in the cellar. Dosage: six grams per liter.

This is one of those magical harvests in Champagne, a truly outstanding year,' says head winemaker, Séverine Frerson. Notes of acacia flower mingle with ripe yellow fruit as it opens in the glass. On entry there’s a real zip and intensity, with attractive, peppery, spicy notes emerging and evidence of a saline, chalky grip on the mid-palate. For Frerson it’s 'particularly harmonious, with a vivid energy. A very pure expression of the Belle Epoque style: silky texture, elegant floral aromas and an intricate complexity.' Needs another decade to fully unfurl. 50% Chardonnay (Cramant, Avize), 45% Pinot Noir (Aÿ, Mailly), 5% Pinot Meunier (Dizy). Dosage: 8g/L. Disgorged: 2019.