Pierre Lurton and the team at Château Marjosse place aromatic purity and the expression of fruit at the heart of their winemaking. The team eschews the use of new oak, instead preferring used 400 litre barrels that allow the aromatic, floral, cherry-fuited nature of the wine to take centre stage. In 2023, the quality of the Cabernets was excellent and forms a higher part of the blend (40%) than in previous vintages. This is always friendly, delicious, and one of Bordeaux’s great values.

2012 needs little introduction as one of the standout recent vintages in Champagne. Originating from the best parcels of the Côte des Blancs, the Blanc de Blancs 2012 vintage is endowed with purity and minerality. This is a harmonious representation of the best parcels of grand crus of Côte des Blancs: Cramant, Chouilly for the finesse, Avize for the force of character and Mesnil-sur-Oger for the structure and longevity. This delicious wine from Billecart Salmon captures the amazing freshness and vibrancy of the vintage, with a taught, chalky spine and precise and elongated finish. This blanc de blancs vintage cuvée carries the name of Louis Salmon, the house's first cellar master.

2012 needs little introduction as one of the standout recent vintages in Champagne. Originating from the best parcels of the Côte des Blancs, the Blanc de Blancs 2012 vintage is endowed with purity and minerality. This is a harmonious representation of the best parcels of grand crus of Côte des Blancs: Cramant, Chouilly for the finesse, Avize for the force of character and Mesnil-sur-Oger for the structure and longevity. This delicious wine from Billecart Salmon captures the amazing freshness and vibrancy of the vintage, with a taught, chalky spine and precise and elongated finish. This blanc de blancs vintage cuvée carries the name of Louis Salmon, the house's first cellar master.

Billecart Salmon is a house that built its reputation on its superb rosés, and so this, the vintage release named after the house's founder, is their quintessential wine. Created in 1988 as a tribute to one of the House’s founders, Elisabeth Salmon, this cuvé distinguishes itself through its refined purity of grandeur and unique character. This great, rare and sought-after wine subtly offers the signature of Billecart's top Pinot Noir and Chardonnay terroirs. Elisabeth Salmon 2012 highlights the full breadth of the savoir-faire required to blend the House’s rosé in an exceptional year.

Billecart Salmon is a house that built its reputation on its superb rosés, and so this, the vintage release named after the house's founder, is their quintessential wine. Created in 1988 as a tribute to one of the House’s founders, Elisabeth Salmon, this cuvé distinguishes itself through its refined purity of grandeur and unique character. This great, rare and sought-after wine subtly offers the signature of Billecart's top Pinot Noir and Chardonnay terroirs. Elisabeth Salmon 2012 highlights the full breadth of the savoir-faire required to blend the House’s rosé in an exceptional year.

Tasted April 2022. More Cabernet was included this year than ever before, with 85% of the blend, with the only other years getting close being 2010 and 2019. This is refreshing and classic, it feels like the vintage really suits the style at Grand-Puy-Lacoste. There's a savoury, licquorice element, a core of dark berry fruit and a mineral-driven finish. 13%.

Tasted April 2022. An incredible shift has taken place at Troplong-Mondot in the past few years, with the new management seeking fresher, elegant, more appetising wines. The 2021 is a triumph, with dense black fruit and crunchier red fruit flavours, and a savoury, herbal lift from Cabernet Franc. For the first time since 1999 it comes in under 14% alcohol. This balance and elegance carries the wine through to a long, savoury finish. 13.5%.

Tasted April 2022. Concentrated and powerful, but still showing the characteristic freshness of the vintage. There's a mixture of ripe black fruit and crunchier red fruits, with a juiciness on the palate which broadens out into a long finish. The structural elements of the wine are tightly wound, but this has the potential to be fantastic with time in bottle. Tannins are ripe and bold at present. There's some lighter, herbal character and aromatics from 30% Cabernet Franc in the blend. 14%.

The 2021 vintage of Contino Viña del Olivo is a classically styled blend based on Tempranillo that also includes 15% Graciano and 5% Mazuela. Sourced from a single plot, it’s extremely expressive and representative of the terroir – only the best clusters from the Olivo plot are included. Harmoniously perfumed with blueberry and spice, this wine is the perfect juxtaposition of intensity and freshness. Superb.