Both France and “the rest” were bought within a price point of £120 retail across the four wines
Pairing 1 – Traditional method sparkling wine
P. Louis Martin, Bouzy Grand Cru, Extra Brut NV
Region: Champagne, France
Grapes: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay
This rich, pinot-noir-led Champagne comes from the prestigious Bouzy Grand Cru village, on the southern slopes of the Montagne de Reims. The region is renowned for its exceptional south-facing chalky vineyards and is particularly suited for the production of top-tier quality Pinot Noir. The wine’s colour is white gold, the nose is rich, vinous and biscuity. On the palate, there is great concentration of brioche, plum and fresh pastry as well as being well balanced, dry and really showing its class. ABV: 12%
Nyetimber, ‘Classic Cuvée’, Brut NV
Region: Sussex, England
Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Nyetimber’s head winemaker, Cherie Spriggs, was the first person outside Champagne to be awarded Sparkling Winemaker of the Year in 2018 and again in 2025. She was also the first woman to win the accolade, and also to have won it twice. Classic Cuvée is Nyetimber’s flagship fizz and it’s made in the same way as traditional French sparkling, giving it equally complex flavours. Cherie is devoted to impeccably high standards at each stage of production. No wonder this has outperformed some of the finest Champagne in blind tastings. It has a stream of fine, delicate bubbles and flavours of toasted brioche, golden apple, honey and sweet spice. ABV 12%
Pairing 2 – Chardonnay
Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis 1946 Vielles Vignes 2022
Region: Chablis, Burgundy, France
Grape: 100% Chardonnay
A small bottling done just from a plot of the wonderful Malantes vineyard in Chablis, planted in 1946, the year of Jean-Marc Brocard’s birth. Ripe yet mineral Chablis with graceful old vine concentration. The nose is vibrant and high-toned, with crisp aromas of grass, stone and lemon oil. On the palate it’s finely textured with tension and finish that lingers on the palate. Clean, precise and elegant. ABV: 12.5%
Au Bon Climat, Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County 2024
Region: Santa Barbara, California, USA
Grape: 100% Chardonnay
Jim Clendenen was a true pioneer. He contradicted assumptions that all Californian wines are ripe and fruity since 1982, when his were some of the very few Santa Barbara vineyards. He specialised in creating highly acclaimed Burgundy-style wines from traditionally Burgundian grape varieties. This Chardonnay is a real classic. It’s made from grapes hand-picked from 25-year-old vines and aged in French oak. As a result, there’s subtle notes of vanilla and sweet spice that join flavours of lemon and lime. Try it with mushroom pasta. ABV 13.5%.
Pairing 3 – Bordeaux style Cabernet Sauvignon blend
Château Capbern, Cru Bourgeois St-Estèphe 2019
Region: Bordeaux, France
Grapes: 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
From the same stable as Saint-Estèphe star Calon-Ségur, this is a full, ripe and generous claret with vibrant, chocolatey fruit and plush texture. A perfumed nose of mulberries, dark cherries, earth, black tea, cloves and cedar. Full-bodied with tight, sinewy tannins. Well-structured and balanced, with a fleshy texture and a flavourful long finish. ABV: 15%
Meerlust, ‘Rubicon’, Stellenbosch 2022
Region: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Grapes: 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot
The Rubicon is a South African classic. It’s made by the Meerlust estate, which has been in the Myburgh family since 1756. And it paved the way for the country’s Bordeaux blends that are rightfully celebrated today. This has notes of black fruit, cedar, tobacco leaf and spice. Decant for an hour and serve at room temperature with roast lamb. ABV: 14%
Pairing 4 – Dessert wine
Frédéric Mochel, Riesling ‘Kaploen’ 2015
Region: Alsace, France
Grape: 100% Riesling
Made from fruit grown in the Grand Cru of Altenberg, with vine age averaging 60 years, this demi-sec Riesling has 32 grams of residual sugar and has a beautiful glycerol texture combined with a tangy acidity and lots of ginger, flowers and ripe stone fruits. The grapes were harvested in September 2015 and were aged in stainless steel tanks on fine lees. Guillaume Mochel, having taken over from his father in 2001, runs this small 10-hectare organic and biodynamic estate in Traenheim, Alsace and is really pushing forward in terms of quality. The wines from the estate have real soul and show a sense of place, offering plenty of precision and balance. ABV: 13.5%
Royal Tokaji, Late Harvest 2023
Region: Tokaj, Hungary
Grapes: Furmint, Muscat, Hárslevelű
Royal Tokaji was founded in 1990, when a small group of investors had the shared mission of creating a high-quality range of traditional Hungarian wine styles. To do this, they brought together 62 small growers from some of Hungary’s finest winemaking areas. Renowned for its incredible range of sweet wines, Royal Tokaji has since become one of the most important names in the wine world. This wine’s sweetness is achieved by allowing the grapes extended ripening time on the vine, increasing their sugar content. Expect rich notes of ripe peach, exotic fruits and blossom. It has the perfect balance of honeyed sweetness and fresh acidity, making a great pairing for fruit tarts, baklava, or ripe blue cheese. ABV: 12%
The wines were accompanied by two varieties of cheese, crackers and fruit cake.
The group preferred the French wines in pairings 1 and 2, and the alternative wines in pairings 3 and 4.
