With its distinctive red label, this has established itself as one of the most reliable champagnes at the lower priced end of the market. Has excellent fine mousse and a complex bouquet of ripe fruit and yeasty brioche, the refined palate tightening the game with fresh apple and ripe citrus fruit, then a pleasingly dry finish. 93 out of 100, James Halliday, Weekend

The distinctive red label of the wine is frequently seen around the traps, partly because this is the cheapest Grand Marque brand. But it also has the legacy of master Champagne maker Daniel Thibault who redefined the style in the late 1980s, making it richer and fruitier. Strong straw-gold, it has a level of intensity greater than all others at its price point. Gently ripe stone fruit and a touch of brioche provide a supple mouthfeel and satisfying finish. $69.99. 93 points & Halliday’s Top 100 – The Weekend Australian November 10-11, 2007

Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut is an exceptionally well balanced champagne – fresh and lively, with light aromas of citrus fruits and spring flowers. Piper-Heidsieck cuvée Brut champagne brings its own lively, vivacious and exuberant character to dry champagne’s traditional elegance and finesse. Piper-Heidsieck’s cuvée Brut combines 50 rigorously selected growths. The wine’s harmony develops over the course of slow ageing in Piper-Heidsieck’s chalk cellars. Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes give cuvée Brut its structure and elegance

Piper-Heidsieck boasts one of the largest selections of crus, which represents all the nuances of the Champagne terroir and includes both Grands Crus and Premiers Crus, a guarantee of the quality of the brand's different cuvées. Vinification has always been the perfect illustration of Piper-Heidsieck's know-how. Each cru and grape variety is vinified separately. Reserve wines from earlier years are used to create a more rounded blend and ensure the originality of the Piper-Heidsieck style. Everything depends on the art of blending, where human input is of paramount importance. The man in the shadows, the man of magic, is Régis Camus, Piper-Heidsieck's winemaker.

2000 produced elegant, well-balanced wines. The variety and quality of different chardonnays from villages such as Cuis, Cramant, Oger, Mesnil sur Oger, Bisseuil, Tauxières and Ludes allowed Ployez to compose a beautiful vintage blanc de blancs. Matured in the cellars for six years, with four years stacked nose-to-punt, which reduces contact with the yeasts while maintaining all the benefits of ageing before disgorgement. Fine mousse, gold with a sparkle of green and light amber. The nose is voluptuous, rich and mature, the palate full and generous.

Rated four stars by Robert Parker Jr.’s Wine Advocate, the same as Billecart Salmon, Jacquesson and Perrier Jouet. Leading French wine magazine La Revue du Vin de France agrees with Parker’s assessment, last year ranking Ployez-Jacquemart 14th of all champagne houses -- the only boutique producer in the top 25.

The magazine said: “With a blanc de blancs at the helm that is superb in its complexity and depth, the champagnes from this house are highly recommended. Thanks to a very discreet dosage and a long ageing in bottle before they are sold, the wines combine purity and richness. The Brut Extra Quality deserves its name. Very much marked by pinot, it is champagne that is rich and creamy. The Cuvée Liesse d'Harbonville, showing more chardonnay character and vinified in oak casks, is in full blossom and of a beautiful precision.”

The hallmark of champagnes from Ployez-Jacquemart in the village of Ludes is brilliant fruit that doesn’t need much dosage. They are tight, lean, and elegant and show great finesse from an extra-long maturation on lees in deep, cold cellars. Ployez-Jacquemart is a family-run champagne house, established in 1930 by the husband and wife team of Marcel Ployez and Yvonne Jacquemart. The winemaker now is their granddaughter, Laurence Ployez. Intense pride in her product and heritage are the cornerstones of a traditional approach to champagne production.

Matured in the cellars for six years, with four years stacked nose-to-punt, which reduces contact with the lees while maintaining all the benefits of ageing before disgorgement.

A bracing structure and supple mousse pick up a chalky feel as this wine plays out across the palate. Buttered popcorn, pencil shavings and grapefruit provide the flavour spectrum. It all comes together on the elegant, smoky finish. 90/N-2024. Bruce Sanderson, The Wine Spectator

Rated four stars by Robert Parker Jr.’s Wine Advocate, the same as Billecart Salmon, Jacquesson and Perrier Jouet. Leading French wine magazine La Revue du Vin de France agrees with Parker’s assessment, last year ranking Ployez-Jacquemart 14th of all champagne houses -- the only boutique producer in the top 25.

The magazine said: “With a blanc de blancs at the helm that is superb in its complexity and depth, the champagnes from this house are highly recommended. Thanks to a very discreet dosage and a long ageing in bottle before they are sold, the wines combine purity and richness. The Brut Extra Quality deserves its name. Very much marked by pinot, it is champagne that is rich and creamy. The Cuvée Liesse d'Harbonville, showing more chardonnay character and vinified in oak casks, is in full blossom and of a beautiful precision.”

The hallmark of champagnes from Ployez-Jacquemart in the village of Ludes is brilliant fruit that doesn’t need much dosage. They are tight, lean, and elegant and show great finesse from an extra-long maturation on lees in deep, cold cellars. Ployez-Jacquemart is a family-run champagne house, established in 1930 by the husband and wife team of Marcel Ployez and Yvonne Jacquemart. The winemaker now is their granddaughter, Laurence Ployez. Intense pride in her product and heritage are the cornerstones of a traditional approach to champagne production.

Ployez-Jacquemart has predominantly pinot noir and pinot meunier vineyards in the grand and premier cru villages of Ludes and Mailly-Champagne. Longstanding relationships with a handful of carefully selected growers, primarily in grand cru chardonnay villages, helps improve the assemblage and ensure consistency. All grapes are handpicked and sorted by variety, cru and vineyard. Only the juice from a light first pressing is used. The second pressing is sold to other houses. Laurence’s meticulous attention to detail is evident at every stage of the process. The wine is moved frequently from one vat to another to ensure a high level of oxygenation, which seems to ensure longevity in bottle.

The variety and quality of the grapes resulted in a beautiful vintage blend of 60% red grapes and 40% white grapes. Fine mousse with a golden yellow colour. The nose is mature, with hints of honey, spices and coffee. On the palate it remains fresh and exciting. Fabulous potential.

Josh Raynolds, writing in Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, was effusive in his praise of the 1996 (disgorged in 2007): Pale gold with an energetic bead. Explosively perfumed aroma of pure blood orange, yellow apple and smoky minerals. Deep, palate-staining apple and orange flavours grab the palate and hold on tight, gaining serious stony bite with air. Strikingly pure and concentrated, featuring expansive citrus and orchard fruit flavours underscored by subtle smokiness and dusty citrus pith character. Already a knockout, this should be even better with another five or six years of ageing. Score: 93+ Points

Exotic aromas of tropical fruit -- pineapple, banana and coconut -- plus citrus peel and ginger make this a seductive bubbly. The texture is like silk, and the acidity is pronounced on the finish. This could use a few years to integrate. Best from 2009 through 2030. Score: 93 points. Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator

This will take a while to settle down, but when it does it will be smooth and gently spiced, with touches of honey. Give it time and it will reward you. The nose is very outgoing, with lots of yeast, citrus and nutty, sherried dough notes. Confusion of the good kind reigns on the palate, where minerals mix with yeast, almonds mix with touches of creamy of oak, and loads of tart, young citrus mix with vanilla spice. The 1990 and 1988 vintages are still young and bucking like a wild bronco. Regardless, this is a fun drink, worth the tariff. Something tells me I am underestimating this … it just may take another 10-20 years to find out. Brad Baker, Champagne Warrior

Marvellous richness in its ripe apricots, smoke, minerals, brioche, honey and sweet toasted oak, while maintaining the acidity and verve. The warm, toasty aromas and flavours are beautifully balanced in this extroverted, lively wine. This is terrific Champagne. 92/N-2016 Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate

70% chardonnay, 15-25% pinot noir, 5-15% pinot meunier; fermented in oak. The crown jewel, produced using only exceptional grapes from exceptional years. Primary fermentation is in 225-litre oak casks (two to three-year-old Meursault barrels), where the wine stays for six months, which builds great richness, beautiful structure and complexity. There is no malolactic fermentation, which lets the wine retain its finesse and elegance. Aged in bottle in the cellars for a minimum of 10 years. Benefits from decanting.

The wine undergoes primary fermentation in 225-litre casks (two to three-year-old Meursault barrels), where it stays for six months, which builds richness, structure and complexity. No malolactic fermentation, so it retains finesse and elegance. Aged in the cellars for a minimum of 10 years. Will benefit from a 15-minute decant.

Bruce Sanderson: A firm edge, framing its vanilla, toast and grapefruit flavours. On the dry side, with a bracing finish, so give it a little time or enjoy with delicate seafood dishes. 90/2010-25.

Love at first smell with that mix of salty yeasty tang and subtle lemon and apple fruit. It’s very fine, dry and strongly mineral in flavour with a soda edge and a little spiciness.  Gentle pin prick bubbles and a cloud-like texture text make it slip down effortlessly - you’d drink half a bottle in record time if you had no self-restraint…unless of course someone with fine observational skills whisked the bottle away from you. For interest and sophistication this stands many more run of the mill non-vintage Champagnes on their collective heads. Rated : 93 Points Tasted : Mar09 Alcohol : 12% Price : $89.95 Closure : Cork Drink : 2009 - 2011; Gary Walsh; The Wine Front

Aged in bottle for a minimum three years. A blend of premier and grand crus, usually 60% pinot noir and pinot meunier and 40% chardonnay. The red grapes provide richness, complexity and roundness. Beautiful bubbles and a lovely golden colour. A ripe bouquet with hints of honey and a ripe, long finish. Reviewed twice by Robert Parker Jnr for scores of 90 and 91 points.

Light gold with a strong bead. Deep pear and orange aromas are brightened by pungent floral and mineral qualities and a jolt of white pepper. Racy and fleshy at once, offering impressively concentrated citrus flavours and taut minerality. This dry, focused champagne finishes with excellent grip and a persistent lemon zest flavour.  90 points. Josh Raynolds

Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar: Delicate, finely etched lemon and green apple on the nose, with a subtle undercurrent of talc and white flowers. Admirably understated, with finely etched citrus and mineral flavours, snappy back-end acidity and very good grip. Refined, balanced and pure. 90 points

Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator: Lithe and silvery, with light toast, pencil shaving and grapefruit notes backed by a firm structure. Well balanced, with moderate length. 89 points.

La Revue du vin de France: Very fine, with a delicate mousse and airy mouthfeel. The balance is perfect and the finish is long, with fine roasted notes. It’s also worth noting the good price-quality ratio.

Approx 30% chardonnay, 40-55% pinot noir and 15-30% pinot meunier. Always a minimum of 90% of the same harvest and blended with a little of the previous year’s reserve wine stored in wooden casks. Aged a minimum of four years in bottle. Fuller-bodied than the Extra Quality Brut. Fine bubbles. Beautiful pale gold colour. Bouquet of dried fruits and hazelnuts. Fresh, ripe body with a lovely balance and finish.

Honey, yeast, citrus, and rich dough make for a striking nose that really has you wanting a taste. Citrus, minerals and a touch of salinity lead the way. It isn’t sweet or acidic, but well balanced and easy to drink. With time, lightly fluffy dough and pear appear and lead into a long, clean and mouth-wetting finish of citrus rind and river stones. The oak doesn’t stand out at all. Brad Baker, Champagne Warrior

Approx 35% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir, 30% pinot meunier; red wine added. Produced only when the quality of the black grapes is exceptional. Each harvest provides a different structure and colour intensity. Adding red wine ensures the colour is stable and precise. It allows Ployez to create an expressive blend, delicately combining the expression of red berry aromas and a rich, long finish, while maintaining its intensity. The red wine is produced in oak, revealing a very light, elegant hint of woodiness. A low dosage allows all of the wine’s fruit and aroma to filter through. Very fresh pink colour. Fruity, fresh bouquet. Clear finish and unnoticeable dosage.

An assertive, full-bodied style, boasting cherry and blackcurrant flavours, with hints of toast and a creamy texture. A concentrated, vinous style, like a red Burgundy with bubbles. Drink now through 2012. Score: 91 points; Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator

Light pink with a lazy bead. Pure, gently floral orange, strawberry and jasmine aromas. Clean, nicely focused and light in body, with fresh strawberry and raspberry flavours firmed by juicy acidity. Finishes brisk and dry, with very good length. Josh Raynolds

Pale strawberry colour. Deeply pitched aromas of raspberry, strawberry, earth and maple syrup. Bright, fruity and fairly dry, with a saline impression of extract and appetising acidity. Finishes with a firm mineral edge and good length. Stephen Tanzer

Dry strawberries, cherries, chalk and yeast make up a subdued but somewhat complex nose. On the palate, a wonderful lead-in of red citrus builds up to flavours of cherry skins, hints of dried leaves and a finish of minerals, red berries and some chalk dust. This isn’t a run-of-the-mill sweet or fruity rose, but rather one that is on the dry side and really gets you thinking. It tilts towards the Burgundy side of rose champagne and should age gracefully for 5-10 years. Brad Baker, Champagne Warrior

The beautiful salmon colour is of relatively deep hue, which looks particularly attractive in a bottle of clear glass, and the nose reveals silky, delicately fragrant notes of raspberry and red cherry. The key to the entire wine, however, is the superbly calculated dosage — on the palate this strikes a perfect balance, elongating and expanding the aromas and allowing the fruit to express a full range of flavour, while still keeping the wine feeling dry and vinous. I was so impressed by the balance here that I actually commented on it three times within the same paragraph in my notebook. I think, too, that the wine has an excellent weight for a rosé — it’s light enough to serve as a summery and refreshing apéritif, yet it has enough substance to pair with an array of lighter dishes at the table, from salads to mezze to tempura. I imagine it would also be marvellous with certain sashimi, as it possesses the requisite clarity and definition to match the purity of the fish. I’m looking forward to becoming more acquainted with this wine over the summer. Peter Liem, Senior Correspondent for Wine & Spirits Magazine

Bright and limey on the palate underscored by a long and stylish acidity with impressive balance.

Pol Roger was born on Christmas Eve in 1831, the fIrst son of Pierre Charles Jean-Baptiste Roger, a lawyer based in Ay. Pol chose not to follow his father's footsteps, but received his support when he announced that he wanted to set up as a negociant or wholesaler. This he did at the age of seventeen using his father's business contacts as customers.

1849 saw the birth of the new Champagne house as Pol began to create his own cuvées rather than bringing in wine from other houses. The first Pol Roger Cuvées went on sale in 1853 and his sales in the first six months were 3769 bottles and 825 half bottles. Today that has grown to around 1.5 million per annum.

Pol Roger recently celebrated its 150th anniversary and is perhaps best known as Winston Churchill's favourite Champagne. The house is still family-owned and has a reputation for producing champagnes of great finesse and elegance which age very well.

An equal blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meuniere which is a perennial favourite of numerous champagne drinkers in this country, and I count myself as one of those. Light, bright straw-green in colour, it has good mousse, and a clean and vibrant bouquet; the flavours run in a green apple, pear and citrus spectrum, with a long, lingering finish, and perfect dosage. It is best drunk sooner rather than later, and makes the perfect aperitif. 93 points & Halliday’s Top 100 – The Weekend Australian November 8-9, 2008

A superstar and sensational value...The NV Brut is a beautifully balanced mix of citrus, peaches and cream..."Best of the Best - 91 Points - Panel of Judges, Australian Gourmet Traveller

"The pick of the non vintage styles in this tasting. The vintage wines tend to be more intense, finer and drier, but this one loses little in comparison with the prestige cuvées. The bready, slightly mushroomy, autolysis characteristics add considerably to the nose, and the palate has excellent acidity and a fine mousse." Lester Jesberg, Winewise

"Still proudly family-owned, Pol Roger is one of the champagne names to look out for in the value stakes. Sure, the prices aren't that low, but relative to competitors it is a great buy. This example is a soft, harmoniously put-together champagne with attractive patisserie and bakery spice characters, lovely freshness, great length and finesse." Ralph Kyte-Powell, Uncorked, The Age (AUS)

Delicate, fine effervescence, creamy citrus, biscuit, apple flavours with a crisp, long finish… an excellent all-round Non Vintage for current consumption for beginners or connoisseurs." 90 Points! Wine Access

Distinctive.  An aroma of pencil shavings turns to flavours evoking Bourbon, honey, malt, flowers and vanilla, all reined in on the finish by a citrussy acidity.  Elegant and forceful, it ends with a nutty after taste. 90 Points! Wine Spectator

This was made in the 150th anniversary of Pol Roger and represents a fine celebration. Very firm and dense, probably best kept for a few months (I tasted it on release in the UK). That said, the haunting nose filled the room as soon as the cork was popped. Solid food wine. I honestly think it would be wasted poured at a busy reception; it needs some contemplation. Still quite chewy on the finish. Very persistent. All Grand Cru vineyards that were under vine during Winnie's lifetime. Very much Pinot-dominant. Supposedly only 1,200 bottles made. Almost a champagne to have with a cigar, appropriately enough. This was the first vintage of their de luxe champagne made by the new team at Pol Roger.
(Jancis Robinson MW, jancisrobinson.com - Feb 2010)

The 1999 Brut Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill, from magnum, is wonderfully rich and expansive, proving yet again just how well suited the big bottle is to Champagne. Smoke, peaches, mint and flowers are just some of the nuances that flow from this textured kaleidoscopic Champagne. The wine continues to gain focus and breadth through to the enticing, brilliant finish. Disgorged July, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030. 94 Points; The Wine Advocate

Bright yellow-gold. An exotically perfumed bouquet displays scents of dried pear, acacia honey, toasted almond, white flowers and smoky lees. Lush and creamy in texture, offering hefty citrus and orchard fruit flavors braced by tangy minerality. The honey and smoke notes linger on the spicy, focused, very long finish. This is drinking well now but has the structure and energy to age. 93 Points; International Wine Cellar

Hints of nut and honey underscore flavors of lemon meringue, citrus peel, smoke and toast in this vivacious Champagne, which is driven by firm acidity, leading to a lingering, spicy finish. Drink now through 2020. 92 Points Wine Spectator

A delicate blend of 45% Pinot Meunier, 35% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay all from 2004 vintage with 20% older reserve wines which have been aged in 225 litre oak barriques. Average age of the vines is 25 years. Dosage 7gm/litre. Clean and fresh with hints of smoke and apple along with the added richness of the Pinot Meunier. Micro-fine mousse that pierces the tongue. Palate lingers for an eternity. This champagne is ideal for any celebrations or will work well with shellfish and simple fish dishes. A truly complex cuvée and a credit to the amazing talent of Francis!

50% Chardonnay (siliceous soil from Vallée de la Vesle), 30% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier (from argillaceous limestone in Vallée de la Marne and Montagne de Reims. A selection of his best Cuvées with the average vine age being 30 years. Vinified in old barrels from Burgundy with stirring of the lees (battonage). Natural yeasts of course. Dosage of 7gm/litre “must concentrate”. There are hints of brioche and apples on the nose, palate shows wonderful richness and intensity with great weight. The mousse is ultra-fine and piercing, a feature of the entire Boulard range. A long finish that just oozes with class, superb balance and pinpoint acidity. The 1998 version of this won a "Coup de Coeur 3-Star" award in the 2005 Guide Hachette. The 2002 is tighter, more mineral and a better wine

The Blanc de Blancs vintage is only produced in the best years and in small quantities coming from a selection of the most prestigious Louis Roederer vineyards in the Côte des Blancs region. It does not undergo malolactic fermentation and its pressure is reduced to four kilograms, instead of the usual six in order to preserve its delicacy and freshness.

Yellow with light greenish/gold highlights. Wonderful persistent bead of ultra-fine bubbles. Scents of crystallised citrus (oranges, lemons) mingled with sweeter notes of ripe fruit (apples, pears), honey-scented flowers and sweet pastry. Hints of caramel emerge, which is typical of Louis Roederer and an indication that some of the wines in the blend were wood-aged.

All the signs of an impressively rich Blanc de Blancs, with a plump, creamy substance. Finishes with an assertive acidity, striking a perfect balance between dense fleshiness and concentrated fruit. The taste is like biting into crisp, almost plummy fruit with delicate aromas of juicy, ripe grapes, sweet pastries fresh from the oven and those subtly toasty notes that are the mark of lush Chardonnay grapes. Ideal as an aperitif. The very essence of freshness, finesse and elegance, Blanc de Blancs is also the perfect accompaniment to seafood, fish and goat's cheese.

Winemaker Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon spent several years in Tasmania during the Roederer-Heemskerk joint venture days but it is Jean-Claude Rouzard who drove the business to unparalleled fame and fortune. This wine is typically a  blend of 62% pinot noir, 30% chardonnay and 8% pinot meunier and is noted for its rich, creamy flavours. This release has great elegance and above all, length. $90; 94 points & Halliday’s Top 100 Wines for 2009 – The Weekend  Australian November 14-15, 2009

Brut Premier is the embodiment of Louis Roederer style, combining all the fruitiness and freshness of youth with the vinosity of a fully mature wine. This is a structured and elegantly mature wine, with a lively attack and a smooth palate.

56% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier, including 10% of reserve wines from three former harvests, aged in oak casks for 2-6 years. An average of three years ageing on lees, plus another six months after disgorging. Pale golden colour. Delicate, persistent beading. Rich yet subtle bouquet with hints of hawthorn, almonds and toast. Clean attack, creamy structure. The inclusion of reserve wines gives the complexity and roundness characteristic of Louis Roederer champagnes.

Arguably the most reliable non-vintage champagne of them all, made by one of the very last family-owned large houses with their own grapes...Of the well-known, so-called grandes marques of champagne (no longer an official title), Bollinger, Louis Roederer, Pol Roger and Veuve Clicquot all carry a premium. But heavy Bollinger can be awkwardly angular when young, racy Pol Roger can also need a little bottle age to show its best and variable Veuve Clicquot can be downright disappointing in my view. But I have yet to experience a bottle of Louis Roederer Brut Premier that did not taste deliciously superior and ready to drink. www.jancisrobinson.com

Louis Roederer Bruit Premier NV is a perennial favourite of mine – I love its biscuity character, its backbone and structure, which are more impressive than in virtually any other NV. But I do prefer to stash newly bought bottles away for at least a couple of years because it is an NV which really fills out, softens and complexes in a most rewarding way with just a little extra ''on cork'' maturation. Huon Hooke, SMH Good Living

A house that never fails to release wines of the highest caliber. The NV Brut Premier (A$89/NZ$80) is a concentrated and elegant wine with fine persistence. The 1997 Brut (A$120) proves to those producers with access to the very best vineyards can make superb wine in lesser years. This is a tight mix of minerals and apricot, with fine acidity. Ken Gargett; Gourmet Traveller Wine

Louis Roederer is one of our very favourite champagne houses. This latest shipment of non-vintage is very fresh and would benefit from a few months more in bottle, but it’s still a fine introduction to the Roederer style: subtle, more-ish, smooth and long-flavoured with a lovely sherbetty-ness. Food fishy pre-dinner nibbles. Ageing drink over two years. 5 Stars * * * * * Huon Hooke and Ralph Kyte-Powell; Epicure Uncorked

Grape Varieties: pinot noir 70%, chardonnay 30%. Harvest: In short: 1999 is a ‘very good vintage’, rich, vinous and with good ageing potential, and Roederer’s style (non malolactic fermentation philosophy) performed very well in the specific conditions of 1999. The growing season was warm yielding grapes of high maturity and low acidity. The combination of quality and quantity evoked 1970 and 1982. Alcohol: p.v. 12%

Method: In the development of its rose Champagnes, Louis Roederer still uses the skin contact method leaving the pinot noir grapes to macerate in the wine press for several hours to extract the pigmenting substances from the must. To confer colour and style, Louis Roederer uses Pinot Noir from old vines in Cumieres which produce very ripe grapes of exceptional aromatic depth. The Brut Rose is aged for four years in the Louis Roederer Cellars followed by six months after disgorgement to ensure perfect maturity. The ‘liqueur de dosage’ is 11 to 12 grams per litre, and is prepared with the greatest care from a selected blend of 8 to 10 of the very best crus from the Louis Roederer vineyard, and then left to mature in oak casks.

Deepish pink with a suggestion of orange. Berry dominated (strawberries, redcurrants and cherries), opens up to subtle scents of elderflower stalks mixed with warmer, lusher notes of jam and gingerbread. The attack is generous and vinous, showing good freshness and an elegant structure, thanks to a sparing addition of dosage. Mouth-filling sensations of honeyed fruit are followed by more complex toasty, subtly spicy oak impressions. Service: Serve well chilled. A wine of great structure and vinosity, Louis Roederer Brut Rose 1999 is a perfect accompaniment to meals based on fish (particularly salmon) and meats such as lamb, veal, guinea-fowl or pheasant. To round off the meal, Brut Rose is an ideal accompaniment to creamy cheeses such as a ripe Chaource or a Brillat Savarin, or the sharpness of a soft fruit pudding such as Sabayon.

A skilful blend of wines made from the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, "R" de Ruinart is a golden, lively, fruity champagne with the subtle aroma of white fruits which make it an excellent aperitif or the ideal accompaniment for a meal at which champagne is the only wine served. The full extent of its aromas will be brought out by a subtle, sophisticated dish such as lightly sautéed scallops.

Made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes, Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is smooth and rounded on the palate. A balanced wine with a beautiful luminous pale gold colour, enhanced by the elegance of the clear bottle. A perfect summer aperitif champagne, delectable sipped by the pool or on a sunny terrace. At table, a light, delicate dish such as grilled sole would be the perfect partner.

Founded in 1729, Ruinart is the world's oldest champagne producer. Ruinart champagne is divided into three main types: Dom Ruinart, Ruinart and "R" of Ruinart.

Dom Ruinart 1996: Dom Ruinart, the visionary spirit of the oldest champagne House, was the inspiration for this exceptional cuvee. It is a rare expression from the most noble of Chardonnay, a magical experience, a genuine feast for the senses.

The cuvee is blended exclusively with the best Chardonnay Grand Crus grapes from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims vineyards. A sparkling, golden yellow robe with delicate bronze-green glints, an extremely fine and persistent effervescence, accompanied with delicate and abundant bubbles… this wine is a delight to the eye. The nose is elegant and subtle, with notes of white flowers and citrus fruits coming to the fore. As the wine warms in the glass, the bouquet develops gourmet notes of brioche and toast, dominated by a mineral edge. The attack of this vintage is fine and particularly silky, leading to intense notes of exotic fruits followed by a refreshing and extremely long finish.