Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 2016 75cl

You know this one before you have read the label — the white anemones trailing up the glass, painted by Émile Gallé in 1902 and unchanged since. The flowers aren't the point, though. Belle Époque is Perrier-Jouët's prestige cuvée, and the 2016 is a Chardonnay wine at heart: half Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, a small 5% of Meunier to round it out.

2016 was a hot, dry summer in Champagne, and the fruit came in ripe with its acidity intact — the balance you want in a wine built to age. Cellar master Séverine Frerson held it on its lees for a minimum of six years before release, and that time shows in the texture.

Expect a golden colour and a nose that leads with flowers before moving to white fruit, poached pear, then citrus — lemon and orange zest lifting the whole thing. The palate is precise and fresh, cut through with a fine mineral line, the dosage kept low at 8g/l so the wine stays taut rather than plump. Elegant in the true sense: nothing overdone.

How to Serve

Serve at 8–10°C in a white wine glass rather than a flute — this is a champagne with too much detail to trap in a narrow bowl. Open it gently and give the first pour a moment in the glass.

Where to Drink It

J Sheekey, over a plate of native oysters. The River Cafe, if you want Italian sunshine to meet all that citrus. Noble Rot in Bloomsbury, for a room that takes wine as seriously as this bottle deserves.

Food Pairings

Reach for something delicate — freshly shucked oysters, or langoustines with nothing more than lemon and butter. The wine's mineral edge and bright citrus handle the rest.