Stunning value for money - Jamie Goode, The Wine Anorak. Beat Krug in Blind tasting!

Brut Selection is vintage Champagne, but keeping it a secret on the label. Richer and less fruity than the Brut Tradition, it is a wine of character that has a good length in the mouth. The blend is 50% Chardonnay 40% Pinot Noir and 10% Meunier all from the terroir of Rilly la Montagne, 1er Cru. 100% 2018 harvest with 13% reserve wine. Minimum 3 years bottle ageing on lees. The nose is a subtle blend of floral and mineral..

Only the road to Reims separates the property from the Church of Rilly la Montagne dating from the 12th century where can be found a strange plate engraved in stone. The inscription in old French reveals that a winemaker of Rilly la Montagne is buried there since 1529...Name: Nicolas Chauvet! A Chauvet family ancestor, not far from his descendants...Five centuries later, Clotilde and Nicolas Chauvet perpetuate the family wine-growing tradition following their parents Claudette and Marc Chauvet, and their grand-parents Andrée and René Chauvet. Brother and sister working together, they have kept the Champagne Marc Chauvet brand created by their father. They farm 6 hectares of vineyards located in Rilly la Montagne within the department of the Marne and 7 hectares in Mont Saint Père in the Aisne. Mostly exposed south, the vines are planted in a very deep layer of chalk soil covered by a thin layer of arable soil. This chalk sub-soil ensures good drainage whilst maintaining sufficient hydration for the vines year-round. The chalk also has a great ability to stock solar heat which is then given back in a regular and constant fashion ensuring effective grape maturity. This is the magic ingredient of a septentrional vine growing region having an ideal composition for the 3 main grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay.

Seafood and/or fish with herbs…as well as on its own, obviously!