Champagne Pierre Paillard – Ambonnay Grand Cru 2020

At Champagne Pierre Paillard, Benoit and his sons Antoine and Quentin are custodians of an eight generation family business; passionately crafting Champagne with extreme finesse. From old vines pinot noir sourced from the lieux-dits of Les Aigremonts (1969, SE), La Guillotte (1966,S), and Le Village (1968, S), located within the village of Ambonnay. This 2020 vintage is the first edition of this cuvée. The two brothers adore Ambonnay, and it shows: "It's a magical terroir, with tiny plots that give us that chiselled, elegant, powerful character of Ambonnay, but with lovely bitterness."

This has a light copper hue and aromas of cloves, sliced apples, peach pits and grilled brioche. It’s silky and refined on the palate, with fine bubbles. Toasty, spicy nuances. Lots of flavour. Long, dry and beautiful. Disgorged December 2024. 3 g/L dosage. Drink now or hold. 94 points - James Suckling.

 Brut – 3 grams per litre of dosage.