Sometimes, when a producer is this good, I just can’t think of other producers until I’ve used up my options. So, with that in mind, another selection from Agrapart.

Founded in 1894 by Arthur Agrapart, the Great Grandfather of the current proprieters Pascal and Fabrice Agrapart, Champagne Agrapart is one of the great grower-producer Champagne houses. With 9 ha of vineyards in and around the Côtes de Blancs grand cru of Avize, Agrapart is one of the largest growers in Champange.

The wines are rich and intense rather than delicate, and have more than a little bit of Malolactic influence. But the character of these 100% Chardonnay wines comes from more than winemaking: they inevitably have a stunning minerality, and a beautifully complex nose that has developed during their generous bottle ageing.

Pascal and Fabrice own vineyards in over 60 different parcels throughout the Côte de Blancs. The average age of the vines is 35 years, with some as old as 60 years. No chemical pesticides or fertilizers are ever used, and the vineyards are farmed manually to promote deep root growth. All wines are aged in 600 liter old oak demi-muids (the older the better says Pascal).

This wine comes from very calcareous sites in Avize and Cramant (both Grand Crus). The wines are unfiltered, aged in 600 liter demi-muids, go through complete malolactic fermentation, and are aged for 5 years on the lees before disgorgement. This is an exceptional wine.

Try it with good caviar, simple fish stock based soups, or butter poached lobster. Drink now – 2018