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.

(100% saignée Pinot Noir): Vivid orange-pink. An expressive, spice-accented bouquet evokes fresh raspberry, orange pith, white flowers and ginger, with a hint of rhubarb adding an earthy flourish. Sappy and broad in the mouth, offering intense red fruit and bitter citrus flavors underscored by chalky mineral and white pepper notes. Rich yet lively rosé with excellent closing thrust and floral persistence.

CVNE still buys half of the grapes they vinify, but they now use 100% of their own grapes for the 2014 Cune Gran Reserva. From a challenging year with abundant rains during the harvest, it's approximately 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo (Cariñena), a classical blend with 13.5% alcohol. It fermented in stainless steel and concrete vats with indigenous yeasts followed by malolactic in concrete and élevage in American and French oak barrels for 24 months. The bottles are kept for at least three years before they are sold. It's quite austere and serious, with a shy nose and a backward personality but with the sweet spices and the character of the traditional Gran Reservas. The palate is polished and balanced, with very fine and abundant tannins. It's a powerful Gran Reserva with some youth. It transcends the difficult harvest.