Champagne Mandois Cuvee Victor Vieilles Vignes 2013

Drink it now or cellar for up to 20 years. No need to decant. Maison Mandois is a 9-generation family-run Champagne house. Their history began with the purchase of vineyards in the Epernay area in 1735, and today the company, which has been based in Pierry since the early 1900s, cultivates approximately 40 hectares planted mainly with Chardonnay grapes and spread across 12 villages. The Chardonnay grapes are selected from low-yielding vineyards over fifty years old located in Chouilly and Vertus, and from an old vineyard on the Côte de Sézanne on soils of red clay, chalk, limestone and flint. About a third of the grapes are treated in the traditional way in oak barrels as Victor Mandois used to do, to add roundness and structure to the wine, while the rest is worked in steel. The wine then rests for 9 years on the lees in the Maison's underground cellars, dating back to the 18th century. The Cuvee Victor Vieilles Vignes is a structured and very elegant champagne with a straw color with golden reflections and a broad and fresh aromatic profile with notes of white fruit and citrus, followed by hints of hazelnut and brioche. On the palate it has a creamy texture and a good acidity. It is concentrated and balanced, with a long and persistent finish that recalls mineral notes. It is delicious with risotto with scallops or stuffed guinea fowl.

Price: £47.57 from 8wines UK