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Down in a deep, dark sea... Drappier Champagnes
Encrusted sea-aged Grande Sendrée 2008 and a pristine bottle conventionally matured in Drappier's Champagne cellars in the Aube Why age...
Oct 25, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut Champagne, France
£34/£27, Tanners Wines I wasn't planning to do Champagne this week, but now is the time to stock up on this Joseph Perrier. The current...
Oct 17, 2019


Bruno Paillard's zero-dosage Champagne comes of age
D : Z is one of two new launches for Champagne Bruno Paillard. The other is the 2009 Assemblage, a vintage that Alice Paillard admits...
Jul 3, 2019


The Festive Champagne Guide 2018
We're there: my Champagne picks for Christmas, New Year and every other kind of festivity, whittled down with difficulty to what I hope...
Dec 19, 2018


Cristal Vinothèque: the quest for eternal youth
The tasting of the first two vintages, 1995 and 1996, of Roederer's ultrarare Cristal Vinothèque When Louis Roederer released the first...
Nov 21, 2018


How to become a winemaker at a top Champagne house at the age of 27
Caroline Fiot in the garden of Champagne Ruinart, where she is a winemaker Oddly, until last week I had never visited Ruinart in Reims....
Jul 6, 2018


Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires 2004: a long-awaited new vintage
No one could accuse Champagne Charles Heidsieck of rushing things or releasing vintages too frequently, not so far anyway. The new...
Feb 6, 2018


The Festive Champagne Guide 2017
So here they are: my Champagne picks for Christmas, New Year and every other kind of festivity, whittled down with difficulty to what I...
Dec 13, 2017


Krug's Champagne creations of 2004 (and others)
Olivier Krug was in town last week for the launch of the 2004 vintage Krug. Unsurprisingly, there wasn’t a spare seat in the house – a...
Sep 11, 2017


Growers' Champagne Month: top picks
In homage to Growers’ Champagne Month (June, in case you didn’t know), I’ve listed below some of the top names and am highlighting two...
Jun 13, 2017


Return of the Bollinger Lunch: James Bond and vintage Champagne surprises
The Bollinger Lunch was, as you can imagine, a rather nice fixture in the calendar until it was dropped a couple of years ago. Searching...
May 15, 2017


Dom Pérignon 2000: the art and mystery of P1, P2 and Rosé Champagne
Dom Pérignon 2000, P2, P1 and P1 Rosé and winemaker Vincent Chaperon in London Dom Pérignon has just launched its P2 2000 Champagne. I...
Apr 19, 2017


Romance in a Wine Bottle
There's no harm in serving up vinous clichés, as long as they're good. These are: two pink Champagnes and two reds that will have your...
Feb 10, 2017


The Festive Champagne Guide 2016
December 29, 2016: prices and stockists updated. I’m writing this a few days after The Wine Gang’s 2016 Ultimate Champagne Evening, so...
Dec 9, 2016


WINE OF THE WEEK: Bruno Paillard Première Cuvée Brut Champagne, France
£35.95, The Whisky Exchange; £38.99, Handford Wines; £44.99, Selfridges The first week of October is National Champagne Week. I don’t...
Sep 29, 2016


Krug, Egg, Two Chefs and Two Michelin Stars
Above: Iberico pork, ajo blanco, boquerón anchovies, eggshell and cinders by Michael O'Hare. The edible eggshell was made from egg white,...
Sep 2, 2016


Try finding a wine writer who doesn't love Alfred Gratien Champagne
Chef de cave Nicolas Jaeger who still ferments everything in oak barrels Alfred Gratien must be one of the least visited of Champagne...
Aug 26, 2016


Liquid Gold: seven vintages of Cristal Champagne – drunk, not just tasted!
The occasion was a dinner at the Hotel Particulier in Reims, the Roederer family home, in May 2016, hosted by Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon,...
Jun 2, 2016


The Golden Age of Champagne
Vins Clairs from the great 2015 vintage, some of which will go into Cristal in the current, new Golden Age of Champagne Rather a quaint...
Jun 2, 2016


Is Champagne a Wine for Food? A light-bulb moment
Winter trips to Champagne can be a bit nippy. Perishingly cold, actually (cue: violins). And tasting dozens of vins clairs, the region’s...
Mar 25, 2016
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