The latest rendition of Laurent-Perrier's NV Brut is showing nicely, wafting from the glass with scents of almond paste, iodine, white peach, warm biscuits and mandarin. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, with an elegant, lively profile, displaying a youthfully frothy mousse, good tension at the core and an attractively chalky finish. This is an excellent non-vintage wine that seems to reflect the maison's efforts to improve their grape sourcing over the last few years.

The latest iteration of Laurent-Perrier's NV Brut Cuvée Rosé is showing brilliantly, bursting from the glass with notes of smoky red berry fruit, apples, blood orange, pomegranate and warm biscuits. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, broad and vinous, with a delicate mousse, good depth at the core and ripe acids, concluding with a sapid, gently phenolic finish. This is a sophisticated, gastronomic rosé that would work well at table.

Des bulles en aubaine

Difficile à battre pour son rapport qualité-prix. Ce n’est évidemment pas un vin renversant à ce prix, mais il est bien fait, complètement sec, et fait même preuve de tenue. Élaboré avec des cépages portugais (gouveio, malvasia fina, arinto et codega) et selon la méthode traditionnelle, il a un nez discret de pomme verte, de poire et d’agrumes, avec une très légère impression muscatée (probablement la malvasia). Très sec et très frais, ce vin est léger, avec des saveurs simples, mais franches et nettes, et des bulles fines. Un vin effervescent passe-partout, idéal pour les rassemblements nombreux, pour faire un kir royal ou un mimosa, ou quand on a envie de bulles sans casser la tirelire.

Black-plum and mulberry flavors are plump in this full-bodied, ripe Pinot Noir. It's a soft, voluminous wine with easy, pillowy tannins but crisply balanced by a sharp edge of cassis acidity on the finish. Easy drinking yet elegant, it should drink at peak through 2025.

This is also markedly reserved and requires vigorous swirling to reveal its array of cool, pure and wonderfully complex red and dark berries, earth, spice and a pretty floral whiff. There is a positively gorgeous mouthfeel to the sleek but plush flavors that manage to retain very good definition on the dusty, serious and impressively persistent finale. This is already really lovely and potentially great.

Sweet spot Outstanding

The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru has an exquisite bouquet of crystalline red berry fruit laced with minerals, wonderfully delineated and focused. The palate is smooth and sensual on the entry, and very cohesive, with a perfect line of acidity. Pure and ravishing, armed with a satin-textured finish, this is going to be very difficult to resist once in bottle. Superb.