Stockist/Retailer: Selfridges

(2025) Created in 2009, this is Château Minuty’s signature wine made in limited quantities. The 2024 is 80% Grenache, 10% Cinsault, 5% Syrah and 5% Rolle from the three main terroirs (schist, clay and sand) in Minuty’s estate vineyards. It is beautifully presented to show off its pale and light coral colour, sweet cherry and confectionery notes of youth with some delicate blossom characters. The palate is refined and dry, just a tiny bit of grip that plays against the downy peach and pulpy strawberry, as does the quite serious core of acidity that sweeps into the finish to give this a little chew and gastronomic appeal.

(2025) I've previously rated the zero alcohol 'BLÅ'cuvée from Copenhagen Sparkling Tea 88 points, making it quite an excpetion for a wine-substitute product, most of which rate in the low 80s at best. Lyserød is being pitched as an alternative to a rosé Champagne, with its bronzey-orangy colour and flavour derived from 11 carefully selected teas, including Silver Needle, Oolong, and Hibiscus. In this class of drinks it's another winner: lots of smoky and berry aromatics, the tang of pine or birch is in there, and on to the palate a dry, smooth and quite elegant flavour, not wine like and strangely not too tea-like, but enjoyable.

(2021) Part of the secret here is from having low yields and very ripe grapes, a saignée of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier. Dosage is 9g/l. Really fragrant, orange blossom character here, flowers and delicate small red berry fruit, dry cranberry notes and a little peach perhaps. The palate is sharply focused, something gently toasty and biscuity, but really racy and refined fruit, dancing and zesty across the palate, charming but dry in the finish.

(2021) Twenty-eight different wines in this blend, all Pinot Noir from across the vineyard parcels, with 10g/l of residual sugar. Like all of these wines, the base wines do not go through malolactic fermentation, which Corinne believes will change the flavour and thus not be the purest expression of their vineyard. Really attractive nose, with an almond touch of creaminess but great freshness too. The sweetness on the palate is as much about fruit as the dosage, but it has a lively thrust of lemony directness married to a beautifully easy-drinking appeal. Only 8% of current vintage in this - 92% of reserves.

(2021) This white sparkling wine is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  After three years on the lees, it was bottled with 7g/l dosage. Delightfully zippy, mineral and fresh, yet there is biscuit richness too.  In the mouth the citrus freshness surges through,  with a distinct lick of saltiness through the finish. Despite the lean, saline character there is charm aplenty in this lovely wine.

(2020) Black Reserve is a special cuvée of the three main Champagne grapes (50% Pinot Noir), mostly from Premier and Grand Cru sites. Aged for five years on the lees and bottled with 7g/l dosage, the base vintage is 2014 but there is 45% of reserve wines in the blend. This bottle was disgorged July 2019. It's a beautifully pitched wine, lots of biscuit and brioche, but a refined floral edge and crunch of cool fruit. Walnut and an orange notes  too. In the mouth the mousse is rolling and rich, with real intensity of ripe flavour, deeply apricotty and peachy, a little smoky, but terrific citrus acidity etches the finish. Selfridges is the only UK stockist of this at £55, but I note France-based vinatis.co.uk sells for £38.35, with delivery of one to six bottles, in two to four days, for £6.00.

(2019) A terrific traditional method sparkling wine from the organic and biodynamic estate of Dirler-Cadé. The blend is 45% Pinot Gris, 35% Auxerrois and 20% Pinot Noir, in a 'zero dosage' wine with a negligible 0.9 g/l of residual sugar. It is immediately sheer and glacial, the cool, crisp fruits on the nose joined by subtle nuances of nettles and herbs, a tiny hint of the yeasty character from its time on the lees. In the mouth it is intense and invigorating, not at all tart of mean, but just riven with it zippy acidity and bold fruit concentration.

(2017) Glowing golden colour, developing toasty, honeyed aromas, but that sense of fat and generosity is still cut by terrific apple juiciness and streaking lime and salt acidity. Note price and stockist given at time of review is for the 2009 vintage.

(2016) This has a touch more weight than the White Stones, but a similar integration of all those mineral and crisp fruit elements on the palate, and very good length.

(2016) Smooth and chocolatey stuff, with plenty of dry extract character, sweet black fruit. Very juicy on the palate, well judged with dry but fine tannins.