Champagne Blanc de Blancs, Charles Heidsieck

TO THE EYE: pale, crystalline gold with the typical glints of the Chardonnay varietal.

ON THE NOSE: the aromas of mature Chardonnay can be recognised initially: white peach, candied citrus with notes of lime, honeysuckle and fresh hazelnut, giving way to subtle hints of tangerine and lemon.

ON THE PALATE: freshness and tautness mark this typically Charles generosity: the attack is pure and forthright, not aggressive with a surprising suavity for a Blanc de Blancs and emblematic of the maturation of wines in two-thousand-year-old chalk cellars.