Champagne Jean De Villare Brut 2015

Jean de Villaré's 2015 Millésime comes from the Pinot Meunier heartland of the Vallée de la Marne and is made from 65% Meunier and 35% Chardonnay. Aged for over eight years on its lees, it's a tadge richer and rounder than their non-vintage Grande Réserve, with a lovely biscuity complexity behind the bright citrus and baked apple fruit. There's still that crisp, clean house style underneath it all, but this vintage edition has added depth, creaminess and balance. A vintage Champagne with real maturity and finesse - and frankly, a bit of a steal for the money.

Ideal with crab, prawns or creamy mushroom vol-au-vents, but equally at home as an elegant apéritif.

Champagne Jean de Villaré comes from the family-run Baron-Fuenté estate in Charly-sur-Marne. The name refers to Jean de Villaré, a Parisian and Napoleonic war veteran, who set up vineyards in the Marne valley village of Villaré to make Champagne under his own name back in the early 19th century. Fast forward to the 1980s, and the Baron-Fuenté family acquired some of the, then derelict, vineyards, and decided to revive the historic name. Today, they continue crafting Champagnes that blend a sense of tradition with their family’s personal touch.