Sited just outside Reims in Chigny-les-Roses, the boutique producer J Lassalle is run by three generations of women. The small-scale 100,000-bottle production is very traditional, with stainless steel, no oak, malolactic and 8-9g/l dosage. Lassalle have 11ha, all Premier Cru, divided into 45 different parcels. With its vibrantly fresh minerality, the Preference embodies the spirit of the J Lassalle house. A smooth and fruity palate evokes characters of pear, apple, peach and apricot, underlined with notes of liquorice and fennel. Unassailable quality.

Established in 1760 and stablemate to the stellar Salon, Delamotte is one of Champagnes best kept secrets. The Delamotte wines are elegant and refined, the NV exhibiting a sublimely understated purity and style. 92/100 | Antonio Galloni: "Not one of champagne's Big Names, Delamotte nonetheless possesses a massive pedigree as stablemate to the mighty House of Salon, the legendary, super-premium player with a fanatical following. The underrated Delamotte stands defiantly tall in that company, with its delicate, refined nuances, rich, ripe fruit and restrained complexity. Very, very good. From the grand cru villages of Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Cramant and Avize."

This is not a perpetual reserve release from Charles Heidsieck, rather it's the rather delicious Charles Heidsieck NV. For many years now, a fundamental element of the style of Charles Heidsieck has been the amount of reserve wine that the blend features. The reserve wine in this wine makes up 1/3 of the blend and is itself a blend of 10 years, adding to that the 7 years this wine spends on lees. It is complex, layered and very long.

At 55%, the high proportion of chardonnay in this blend is what makes it stand out from the pack. Launched in 2004, this is a relatively new brand for the Champagne house that was founded in 1812. Needle-fine mousse and intense, lemon-sherbet acidity with a candied citrus finish. Elegant, angular, an instant classic.