From a single, long-established vineyard, made by Tim Knappstein with a lifetime’s experience. Apple blossom and talc aromatics; a fleshy entry with abundant lime/lemon flavours gaining intensity on the finish, where balancing acidity makes its mark. Screwcap, 11.5% alc.

Made from old, low-yielding vines. Light, bright green-quartz. The delicately perfumed bouquet takes some coaxing to reveal itself, the palate following without the need of persuasion. It is bright and lively, bringing citrus, Granny Smith apple and slinky acidity from the first sip through to the lingering finish. Screwcap, 11.5% alc.

Don’t be fooled by John Hughes’s quirky business name. Eden Valley’s dominant juicy lime fruit comes through at speed and slows towards the back palate before surging on the finish and aftertaste, with white peach and grapefruit providing a high wire of acidity and length. Screwcap, 12% alc.

Fresh, lively, citrus flavours first up, followed by a balanced acidity on the aftertaste. This has always been a good wine with upwards of 50 years’ under its belt. This vintage is light on its feet, with a crisp finish. Screwcap, 12.2% alc.

From Block 2, planted in 1975, and the youngest Highbury Fields site. The old vines provide the seemingly limitless depth to its length, texture and structure, the younger planting providing the lime blossom bouquet. A lovely cool-grown wine from a very good region. Screwcap, 12% alc.

Draws on six estate blocks; 100% free run juice. The perfumed apple and lime blossom bouquet doesn’t prepare you for the searing intensity of the slatey acidity and lemon zest palate. This is purity on a grand scale, its future unlimited. Screwcap, 11.5% alc.

A flawless riesling, the bouquet with white flower and powdery apple blossom to start the conversation before the sheer power of the mouth-watering lime juice and Meyer lemon take control. The length is prodigious, the flavours lingering long in the mouth. Screwcap, 11.8% alc.

Vines planted circa 2001, and since 2010 organically grown. It has an evocative bouquet with its mix of citrus and talc; the flavours take shape on the palate, with its extraordinary staying power, the acidity just as it should be. Screwcap, 11.5% alc.

This leaps out of the blocks like an Olympic sprinter at the start of a 100m race. Lemons (green and Meyer) and Granny Smith apple are lashed by razor sharp acidity. Drink tonight or in 30 years’ time. Screwcap, 12% alc.

Partial barrel fermentation adds another dimension to the citrus, snow pea and passionfruit notes of this wine, the rich bouquet marking a multi-layered palate that takes a split second to fill every part of the mouth with its grapefruit and nectarine flavours. Screwcap, 13% alc.

Gently pressed and fermented, using only free run juice. The distinct nettle on the bouquet catches attention until the delicious palate takes over, with grapefruit leading the way, supported by gooseberry and a hint of passionfruit. The finish is crisp and lip-smacking. Screwcap, 12% alc.

The fruit comes from the mature 30-year-old Langton Vineyard, with no tricks in the ferment. The wine has that group of sauvignon blanc flavours covering tropical, herbal and gooseberry. Bright acidity with an edge of citrus provides an extra degree of length. Screwcap, 12.5% alc.

A 60/33/7% blend of sauvignon blanc, semillon and verdelho, hand-picked on biodynamic fruit and flower days, naturally fermented with no acid additions. It has that oxymoronic coupling of intense, layered tropical fruit and a herbal undercut of lemony acidity. Screwcap, 13% alc.

Winemaker Jeremy Gordon is a gun. Here, the addition of a small portion that was wild yeast fermented in steel barrels has added a dimension of complexity to a wine that has a blend of herbal and tropical fruits fit hand in glove. Margaret River does it again. Screwcap, 12.5% alc.

Takes advantage of an over-supply of chardonnay fruit. Wild yeast fermented, and matured in French oak for 6 months. What’s the catch, other than a plenitude of Margaret River Chardonnay? It’s varietal, it’s balanced and it’s long. Fantastic value. Screwcap, 12.5% alc.

From a single 20-year-old Upper Yarra vineyard, barrel fermented in French oak (10% new) and matured for 9 months on lees. Sells itself short by emphasising its drinkability here and now; while the emphasis is on the fruit, there’s complexity and a minimum five-year life span. Screwcap, 13% alc.

Mostly fermented cool in tanks; 25% is fermented with high solids and ambient yeasts in used puncheons. It’s arcane magic, giving pinot gris substance and flavour before a long, lemony, bright finish. It goes straight onto my wine list for Chinese restaurants. Screwcap, 13% alc.

Hand-picked early; whole bunch-pressed, passive oxidation of juice, slow cool ferment. A little slow out of the blocks, but has cascades of lime, pear and Granny Smith apple on the palate, girdled by crunchy acidity on the lingering finish. Screwcap, 12.5% alc.

This rare variety “has been one of the favourite grape varieties of the Lloyd family [of Coriole in McLaren Vale] for many years”, easily understood once you have tasted this wine, a cross between fiano and marsanne. It has truly delicious and refreshing acidity on its finish. Screwcap, 12% alc.

This, says Primo Estate, is the first planting of pecorino in Australia, and it’s rare in Italy, its birth place in Le Marche. If this richly pungent vintage is typical of the variety, there will be a queue for rootlings. Pear, lemongrass, citrus and spice all clamour for attention. Screwcap, 12.5% alc.

Light but vivid hue. Strawberry/raspberry aromas: purity for short. This has real presence, real pinot fruit. Made from the ground up. Its mouthfeel and texture are also admirable. And don’t be scared of keeping some bottles for a year or two. Screwcap, 13% alc.

Destemmed, 3-day cold soak; 4-6 week cool fermentation. The vivid magenta hue is, to put it mildly, jaw-dropping. But it’s far more than show; it’s wondrously fruity, yet bone dry, its rainbow of small red berries enough to stop those who “don’t like rosés” in their tracks. Screwcap, 13% alc.

Bernard clone 777; the vines are bunch-thinned three times, the wine matured in French oak. Good colour; plum and black cherry fruits have a savoury/earthy bedrock that will repay cellaring for as long as you can keep your hands off it. Screwcap, 14.5% alc.

Vivid deep crimson hue. Cherry, raspberry, strawberry all populate the intense but perfectly created pinot, each reflected in a Catherine wheel of pinot noir essence. Hoddles Creek does it again and again. Australia’s best value pinot? Screwcap, 13.2% alc.

Hand-picked and sorted; open fermented with 10% whole bunches, and matured in used French puncheons. The perfumed spicy, foresty bouquet catches attention, reinforced by the medium-bodied palate where red cherries/berries have the depth of fruit others lack. Screwcap, 13.5% alc.

The immediately expressive and complex bouquet sets the scene for a delicious pinot in a drink now or later framework. Cherry and rhubarb sits within a spicy, savoury support role. Its balance and length are right on the money. Screwcap, 13% alc.

The vignerons of McLaren Vale were wildly ecstatic about the ’21 vintage, and finding this wine at this price explains their joy. It’s medium to full-bodied, laden with black fruits of all kinds, dark chocolate, licorice and savoury, ripe tannins. Screwcap, 14.5% alc.

From six vineyards in six districts, picked between 19 February and 16 March, with a wide range of fermentation techniques, matured in new and used French hogsheads for 14 months. Medium-bodied, smooth and supple, with plum and blackberry fruits, integrated oak and tannins. Screwcap, 14.5% alc.

Matured in French oak (35% new). Deeply coloured; a wine that always makes light of vintage variation. Thanks to its balance, it’s utterly pleasurable to savour the oak, the generosity of its black fruits, its ripe tannins and its notes of spices and pepper spun throughout. Screwcap, 14.5% alc.

Follows in the footsteps of the ’18. While the bouquet and palate alike are richly endowed, the cool continental climate shuts the door on any over-ripe, pudgy fruit characters. So, tannins play along with the black cherry fruit and utterly delicious savoury undertow. Screwcap, 14.5% alc.

Its deep, bright colour hops in early, as it were, to claim the crown, but there’s more to come for this complex, medium-bodied wine. The bouquet has spicy/woody/earthy notes followed by a fruit-dominant palate, with tangy red and black berries to the fore. Screwcap, 14.2% alc.

No information on the back label, not even the percentage split. Yet in truth it’s the vintage that is speaking loud and clear, with its red berry and licorice bouquet, dark chocolate even louder on the palate which is 50/50% juicy and savoury. Screwcap, 13.5% alc.

Elegance is the feature of all the Head Red wines, balance ditto. Drilling down further, Head’s handling of tannin is masterful – as here, at 13.5% alcohol! That’s meant to be impossible, but clearly it’s not. Blackcurrant/cassis floods the mouth, and other fruits (plum) join in. Screwcap, 13.5% alc.

The vivid crimson rim flashes a come-here signal for a full-bodied cabernet in the best Grampians style. It is replete with blackcurrant fruit, tannin and oak slotted in the background. It’s a wine that can draw you into its folds, never to emerge. Screwcap, 14.5% alc.

A blend of Bordeaux’s five varieties that offer a rare mix of juicy and dusty aromas and flavours. While only medium-bodied, the palate and finish are very long, the aftertaste (and the price) mouth-watering, the tannins spicy. Screwcap, 14% alc.

There’s so much excitement about McLaren Vale grenache you can expect to enjoy every offering – and you won’t be disappointed here. Winemaker Corrina Wright (nee Oliver) fills the senses with red fruits, yet does so with a light touch, leaving the mouth fresh. Screwcap, 14% alc.

85% old bush vine (part 100 years old) grenache fermented with 1/3 whole bunches, 50% matured in used French hogsheads, 50% in stainless steel, for eight months. A vibrantly fresh, red-fruited light-bodied wine; what it lacks in body it more than makes up with its elegance and length. Screwcap, 14% alc.

A blend of grenache, shiraz and mataro, sourced from some (very old) original vines on the property. It’s super-fragrant, with tantalising spices and cured meats (what else?) on the bouquet, and plum on the palate, tannins right where they are needed. Screwcap, 14.5% alc.

Wild yeast fermented with over a month on skins to extract the tannins, doing so with skilled restraint. No kick in a private part of the male anatomy. Sure, the wine has a savoury carapace, but there’s its overall impact of cherries of every kind to provide balance. Screwcap, 14% alc.

Coriole’s plantings of sangiovese date back to 1985. This is a three-dimensional wine, the bouquet and palate both attesting to its varietal roots, and taking the opportunity offered by the great vintage, the herbal nuances on the finish adding charisma to the equation. Screwcap, 14.3% alc.

Free run juice cold-settled and cool fermented. Obviously dodged most of the rain: this has an exceptionally rich, layered and complex palate, acidity piercing the veil of citrus fruit on the lingering finish and aftertaste. Screwcap, 12.3% alc.

A truly lovely example of East Coast riesling with a long history of success. This has an abundant and fragrant lime/lemon bouquet which is front and centre in the mouth. Tasmanian acidity is there, of course, but it’s folded into the bosom of the fruit. Screwcap, 13% alc.

Very much on song with its white flower, apple and lime blossom aromas. While it isn’t the least uncertain in the mouth, it grows rapidly on the back palate and finish, with palpable structure to its lime-drenched flavours and acidity. Screwcap, 13% alc.

This is always a wine of utmost quality. Its flowery, fragrant lime and lemon aromas soar from the glass, the palate with its spear of unsweetened lime and lemon finish and aftertaste underlining its intensity and quality. Screwcap, 12.5% alc.

Transfixes you with the first sip and builds its intensity without effort, its length even more so. Riesling and naked power seldom come to terms with each other, but here the wine’s deep-set layers of steely acidity are underlined with lime/lemon essence through to a finish without end. Screwcap, 12% alc.

As usual, this is finer in every way than its Springvale sibling. The lime blossom-filled bouquet sets the ball rolling, the palate achieving the seeming impossible of simultaneously presenting delicacy and intensity, the riddle solved by its balance (and its vintage). Screwcap, 12.9% alc.

Only 150 dozen. Aged? Prime of its life, with yet more to come. It was an excellent vintage, and the wine is perfectly poised with its elegance and balance. The first signs of honey are on display in its mouth-watering, citrus-infused, lingering finish. Screwcap, 11% alc.

Bright, but deep, straw-green; from Block LO-07. The wine immediately presses the pleasure button. While it will continue to develop for years, the balance of youthful freshness and the honeyed toast is impeccable now. The price is totally justified. Screwcap, 11% alc.

Barrel fermented in new and used French puncheons which contribute to both the flavour and texture of this very appealing wine. It’s savoury and dry, but the lemon zest and fruit flavours are the prime movers in showing what can be done even in a vintage that wasn’t easy. Screwcap, 13% alc.

Hand-picked sauvignon blanc fermented in clay eggs and barrel, a small portion on skins; 70% matured in used French barriques, 30% in clay eggs. Has tremendous complexity and intensity, reaching a high point on the finish of the palate with lemon zest and electrifying acidity. Screwcap, 12% alc.

Apart from Dappled’s usual minimal SO2 (nothing else added) declaration, this is an impeccably balanced and pure chardonnay that has highlighted the opening of the Peacock’s Tail on its soaring finish. White peach, pink grapefruit and cashew provide the flavour. Screwcap, 13% alc.

Sourced from the north west, Derwent and Coal River Valleys, pressed direct to barrel for a wild yeast fermentation and lees maturation. The immediately complex bouquet leads into a vibrantly crisp palate with a particularly satisfying finish nourished by vibrato acidity. Grew and grew. Screwcap, 13.2% alc.

Winemaker, Michael Downer, son of owners Charlie and Julie, has made an immediately attractive wine, with fresh, vibrant varietal fruit in the grapefruit/white peach spectrum. Oak is a minor contributor, acidity an important driver to the finish and aftertaste. All up purity. Screwcap, 13% alc.

Hand-picked ex Meadowbank vineyard in the Derwent Valley. Whole bunch-pressed, and seems to have the secret of eternal youth, poised on the midpoint of citrus (grapefruit) and stone fruit (white peach). High quality French oak has been absorbed into the fabric of the wine. Screwcap, 13.2% alc.

The bouquet is ethereal yet arrests attention, but it’s the amazing intensity of the wine on the palate that’s breathtaking. The grapefruit/white peach duo meet their match with the electrifying acidity, creating layers of flavour that are welded together, yet never say too much. Screwcap, 13.2% alc.

Chilled before whole bunch-pressing, 50% mlf, matured for 12 months in French barriques (50% new, 50% second use). Gleaming yellow-green hue; grapefruit, apple and white peach drive the very expressive and complex palate. A rare chance to see a nine year-old chardonnay. Screwcap, 13% alc.

Wild yeast fermented, matured for 9 months in French oak (86% new). This is in a class of its own – balance, line, length; the varietal expression is in that midway point between stone fruit (white peach) and citrus (grapefruit) bolstered by the natural acidity of a classic vintage. Screwcap, 12.8% alc.

Fermented and matured in French barriques (50% new, 22% one year old). This wastes no time in establishing its extreme quality – and complexity. It is a complete wine, its power, focus and length welded together, white peach and pink grapefruit allied with a shaft of cleansing acidity. Screwcap, 12.5% alc.

35% wild yeast fermented in used French barriques, 5 months on lees, 65% fermented in tank at 13C, lees contact for four months. An intensely flavoured and complex pinot gris; has a pear, citrus and minerally palate that finishes as emphatically as the first sip. Screwcap, 12.5% alc.

A very complex wine with a starting point of six clones, with multiple fermentation and maturation pathways. A distinct swish of perfume and cinnamon spice on the bouquet; the palate is mouth filling to begin, but then swells aromatically to the finish and lingering aftertaste. Screwcap, 13% alc.

Whole berry/bunch open fermentation for three weeks; matured for 10 months in French oak. A beautiful, balanced pinot, the red cherry/berry fragrance is mirrored by the palate, where delicate but clear savoury notes of spice are woven through the red fruit palate and aftertaste. Screwcap, 13.2% alc.

Bright and clear colour. Exotic Eastern spices make for a striking and appealing bouquet, the voluminous palate every it as attractive as the bouquet. Red berries, spice, cold tea, complex cinnamon and pomegranate all contribute, as do super-fine tannins. Screwcap, 13.5% alc.

This has a typical Tasmanian extra level of everything: colour, aroma and varietal fruit flavour. Perfumed purple fruits lead into an immaculately balanced and proportioned wine opening majestically (the peacock’s tail) on the finish and aftertaste. Something special. Screwcap, 14% alc.

The colour isn’t deep, but is crystal clear. The perfumed bouquet is filled with violets and scents of the forest floor, the palate utterly extraordinary in its intensity. It is primarily driven by its fruits of cherry and plum, but also the sheen of mouth-watering tannins. Screwcap, 13.5% alc.

Bramble, briar and black tea aromatics set the scene for a very complex pinot that needs encouragement to release its perfume. Len Evans might well have used his expression of “an old lady’s handbag” with this silky pinot, joining the ’17 as the best of the Foggy Hill pinots to date. Cork, 13% alc.

22% whole bunch foot-trod, the remainder destemmed whole berry, chilled five-day cold soak, 11 days on skins, 10% juice run off, 11 months maturation in French oak. A resplendent palate, pulsating with essence of blackberries, dark chocolate, licorice, ripe tannins and sweet earth. Screwcap, 14% alc.

Deep, brooding crimson-purple. This is a faithful reproduction of variety and place of the highest quality. It’s velvet in the mouth, and mines all the black fruits, dark chocolate, licorice and spice hoped for. The tannins are polished, the oak absorbed by the fruit. Screwcap, 14% alc.

Co-fermented with a small portion of viognier which has added vinous speed to a yearling racehorse. It is light, lively and refreshing with its red fruits standing up to the black. Its tannins are also remarkable in their taste and structure, producing this elegant wine. Whoopee. Screwcap, 14.5% alc.

Planted circa 1880 by P.F. Zimmermann. Deliberately minimal winemaking input, except the all-important decision to pick while the baume was sub-14. It’s medium-bodied, with gently spicy nuances woven through the black cherry/blackberry fruit in liaison with silken tannins. Diam, 14% alc.

The colour is deep and still youthful, three-plus years along its journey. The complex bouquet is so multifaceted it’s a challenge to describe. Game, Eastern spices, black cherry and licorice move backwards and forwards across the palate and bouquet. Aboriginal dot painting stuff. Screwcap, 14% alc.

From vines over 80 years old. It’s superb fruit, handled with appropriate respect and care. The vintage was very good, fruit ripeness where you would wish it to be. The only problem is that demand has far outpaced supply, with only 50 dozen made. Screwcap, 13.5% alc.

The vines were planted by then newly arrived migrant Mick Ahrens and, as old vines can do, sailed through the at times challenging vintage. This is a beautiful shiraz, medium-bodied with its deep river of dark chocolate, blackberry fruit, filigreed tannins and positive oak. Diam, 14% alc.

Block 2 was planted in 1973. Glorious colour, elegance and finesse to burn. Open fermented, 10-day post ferment maceration, 18 months in French barriques (40% new). A beautifully crafted wine, capturing all that the great fruit had to offer. Treads oh-so-lightly, but with infinite power. Screwcap, 12% alc.

It’s not common to describe a two-year-old cabernet as charming, indeed sensual, but this is what you get here. There’s juicy cassis fruit, quality cedary French oak, and perfectly pitched tannins. Moreover, it will gain in richness and complexity over the next 10-15 years.

Screwcap, 14.5% alc.

The love affair between Margaret River and cabernet sauvignon is evident in this wine. The bouquet is fragrant and flowery, the medium-bodied palate supple and juicy, cassis to the fore, but backed by finely balanced, ripe tannins. There’s oak present, but you don’t notice it. Screwcap, 14% alc.

It spent 16 months in French oak (31% new). This is a wine of extraordinary quality. Small wonder Sue Hodder says it’s “amongst the best wines we have made”. It is medium-bodied, and so agile in the mouth, no one flavour dominates at any stage of its consumption. Screwcap, 13.5% alc.

A perfumed bouquet, the purity of the fruit in a cassis/redcurrant/blueberry spectrum. The small berries of a quasi-drought summer might have imposed awkward tannins, but the medium-bodied palate is so perfectly balanced it has a drinking span of 30 years and counting. Screwcap, 13% alc.

Wild yeast, open fermented and basket pressed. Bright clear though deep crimson hue; scented/perfumed, and I’m gone for all money without even tasting it. Its red fruit sundae glistens with dew drops on a spider’s web, yet also has a savoury echo towards the finish. Screwcap, 14.5% alc.

Grenache’s reach grows from Victoria to Western Australia. This is a wine of utmost clarity and purity, its perfumed red flower and violet bouquet extremely good, the precision and clarity of the juicy red berries/cherries even better, mouth-watering and lingering, but never sweet. Screwcap, 14% alc.

A perfumed glass of sheer delight, singing from the rooftops, demanding to be opened and consumed now. From Victoria’s Pyrenees, the wine is only light-bodied, but the blend of grenache, shiraz and graciano, supported by an airy breeze of gently savoury spices, gives the wine remarkable intensity and length. Screwcap, 13.5% alc.

A 52/42/6% blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier that trumpets the ultra cool region, spending four years on tirage. The vintage was wet and cool, but disease free. The wine has developed yet more intensity to its Meyer lemon fruit base, the length of the palate exceptional. Bargain of the year. Cork, 10.5% alcohol.

A pale, blush pink blend of pinot noir (77%) and chardonnay (23%) that spends a minimum of 18 months on tirage. A fragrant and fresh bouquet leads into a strawberry-infused palate that is both well balanced and long. The dosage has been the masterstroke for a wine bred to please. Diam, 12% alcohol.

Bright quartz-green hue. A 60/40% blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, both Dijon clones, traditional method, minimum of 36 months on lees. Its bouquet offers evocative cherry and mandarin blossom, the palate with a fresh vibrant finish. The very upmarket packaging adds to its appeal. Diam, 12% alcohol.

A 55/45% blend of chardonnay and pinot noir sourced from the Tamar Valley with small amounts from earlier vintages matured in used French oak. Second fermentation in bottle with two years on lees prior to disgorgement. It’s as fresh as a daisy, the palate long, the finish and aftertaste nodding their heads in agreement. Diam, 12% alcohol.

Largely estate-grown fruit – 71% percent from Whitlands, 21% from Strathbogie, and 9% from the Upper Yarra. A traditional method that spent 42 months on lees, disgorged Mar ’20. Has developed superbly since first tasted in September ’20, filling out a little, with fresh grapefruit grapefruit nuances and a clean finish. Diam, 12.5% alcohol.

An estate-grown blend of pinot noir (60%) and chardonnay (40%); hand-picked and whole bunch-pressed, fermented in barrel with mlf; secondary ferment and maturation in bottle for over three years. Pure and wonderfully racy, it’s equally ready for drinking today or in another five years. Cork, 12.5% alcohol.

Natalie Fryar was the winemaker at Jansz (part of the Yalumba group) for 14 years, squirrelling away micro releases of wine made from sites across the Pipers River district. This wine has luscious and wholly seductive array of brioche, lemon tart and citrus flavours, given structure by fresh acidity.

Diam, 12% alcohol.

Disgorged February ’22, and sold at an eminently fair price. This wine is at the peak of Australia’s sparkling wine category, its complexity riveting, its line and length likewise. It deserves a place at the top of the wine lists of the best restaurants, but can double up as an aperitif thanks to its perfectly balanced acidity. Cork, 12.5% alcohol.

From the third Heidsieck-named house, Charles and Piper the other two, and better known than this. Light straw-green; well balanced and long; citrus blossom, Granny Smith apple, good mouthfeel and length. Cork, 12.5% alcohol.

A 60/30/10% blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay; the full straw colour reflecting the blend, not the age. Savoury texture; good length; overdelivers, perfect balance; complex aftertaste again reflecting its pinots make-up. Cork, 12% alcohol.

Made with equal quantities of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier; encompassing 40 crus – resulting in powerful texture and structure. A step up the ladder in style thanks to three years on tirage. Cork, 12.5% alcohol.

An 80/20% blend of chardonnay and pinot noir; three consecutive vintages, 40% reserve wines, kept in oak; disgorged January ’22, 6g/l dosage. The winemakers have nailed the components to the mast: it’s an exercise in purity and elegance – and exceptional value. Diam, 12% alcohol.

Côte de blancs; 67.5% 2019 vintage, 32.5% reserve wines from 2010-2018; disgorged November ’21, 6g/l dosage. The flowery white blossom bouquet, and grapefruit accented palate, keep the tradition of this style; generosity and depth. Diam, 12.5% alcohol.

A 50/40/10% blend of chardonnay, pinot meunier and pinot noir; 50% reserve wines; vines average 40 years old; disgorged October ’21, 2g/l dosage. Striking straw-green hue; a wine very much to my personal taste as an aperitif; Meyer lemon fruit fills the long, lingering, bright finish. Cork, 12.5% alcohol.

From Côte des Blancs, good soil moisture prevented stress from the warm and dry vintage; disgorged July ’21, low dosage of 2g/l. This is a totally delicious and fresh wine, balanced by many years on lees, and a fine line of honey within minerally acidity. Cork, 12% alcohol.

Composed with 30% from each of pinot noir and pinot meunier, and 40% chardonnay. It has 40% reserve wine, and spends three years on tirage. It is the go-to rosé for wine professionals, with nuances of juicy/poached red berry fruits, yet finishes dry and fresh. Diam, 12% alcohol.

Equal proportions of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier; zero dosage. The absence of dosage in no way threatens the length, body or balance of a beautiful wine. Pol Roger has long been a favourite of mine, but is making even better wines across a broad range of styles. Cork, 12.5% alcohol.

This classic blend of pinot noir and chardonnay (61/39%) is drawn from 19 crus, the base wine fermented in oak on tirage until disgorged October ’21. A superb wine, with ultimate balance between the robust pinot noir and airy freshness of the chardonnay; great length, too. Cork, 12% alcohol.

A 60/40% blend of 100% estate pinot noir and chardonnay. Despite the white glass bottle, wrapped in orange cellophane, Cristal is built to be very long lived. It utilises the oldest, lowest yielding (half the permitted yield) estate vines. The result is a wine of intense power and length. Cork, 12% alcohol.

Churchill drank Pol Roger – lots of it. Its cépage has never been released but it is believed to be over 60% pinot noir. 2013 was a good vintage, the acidity a highlight. Here it has been the foundation of the freshness and imperious length of a very great champagne, second only to the 2008. Cork, 12.5% alcohol.