ANDRE CLOUET GRAND RÉSERVE CHAMPAGNE

Clouet is a Pinot specialist and this is a seriously good Blanc de Noir (White of Black). Incredible fruit intensity, rich full style with plenty of personality. Heaps going on. Bubbles that you can take beyond an aperitif, it’ll happily sit alongside a decent plate of nosh.

Bouzy and Ambonnay are the epicentre of pinot noir in Champagne, and the Clouet family is the priviledged custodian of eight hectares of estate vines in the best middle slopes of both villages.  These are rich and concentrated expressions of pinot noir, wines of deep complexity, multi faceted interest and engaging character, yet with remarkable restraint and sense of control.  Recent tastings confirm my impression that this small and relatively unknown grower ranks high among Champagne’s finest practitioners of pinot noir – and expresses one of the best value of all.