Bacash Christmas Pack

Laherte's entry Champagne continues its skywards trajectory. Biodynamic and organic fruit, the quality being delivered for this price is outstanding. Bright, appley and fragrant, this feels fresh and easy to drink, buttressed by taut, lively acidity. As usual, it's made from a majority of meunier (60%), blended with 30% chardonnay and 10% pinot noir from a total of seven different parcels across the Côteaux Sud d'Épernay and Vallée de la Marne, namely Chavot, Mancy, Morangis. Breuil, Boursault, Moussy and Vaudancourt. There are now two reserve vintages blended in, giving more complexity and oomph, and the reserve wines now make up 50% of the blend, with 60% of that barrel aged material.

Screwcap. Certified organic. Defaix’s Chablis Villages is drawn from four parcels of mature, 30-plus-year-old vines situated around Milly and Poinchy, on the left bank of the Serein River. The wine was fermented wild and aged on fine lees for 10 months in glass-lined tanks.

This charismatic old vine cuvée is drawn from two plots: Le Chamery in Cheilly-lès-Maranges and Le Clos in Sampigny-lès-Maranges. The vines are over 50 years old, and the soils tend towards red clay, shot through with rocky chalk. Alexandre Bachelet notes that these terroirs are reasonably warm, and he uses a significant percentage of whole bunches (although less than usual in 2021) to balance the depth of fruit. It’s a smart wine packed with dark cherry and bitter chocolate notes and plenty of powdery tannins. Terrific value now, this will be even better with a few years in bottle.