Disgorged in March 2020 with 4.5 grams per liter dosage, the 2010 Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Les Cintres bursts with aromas of shortbread, citrus zest, blanched almonds and pear. Full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it's round and vinous, with broad shoulders and a rich core of fruit, concluding with chalky grip. Charles Philipponnat compares the 2010 with the "round" 1999 vintage, a persuasive analogy, and it will drink at its peak before both its 2009 and 2008 predecessors.

All-Pinot wine made from 2006 onwards from a special plot within Clos de Goisses. Disgorged March 2020. Dosage 4.5 g/l. This does smell like red burgundy! So rich-yet-dry. On the peacock's-tail finish the subtle Pinot shades come and go. This is worth concentrating on – a champagne for a fine dinner surely? Like the rest of the family this is beautifully balanced and has so much richness initially and yet finishes dry and appetising. Is this the best 2010 champagne produced? (JR)