Les Couarres

Les Couarres from Chartogne-Taillet is an extra brut blanc de noirs made from 100 per cent Pinot Noir. It comes from the plot that gives it its name and shows two sides: the complexity you expect from this grape, and a distinct minerality. The low dosage of the extra brut category keeps origin and fruit clearly in the foreground. The house is based in Merfy and is one of the grower champagnes that vinify individual sites separately.

Serve it at 9 to 11 degrees in a white wine glass that gives aromas and structure room to open up. It goes well with dishes that have substance: roast veal, poultry in a cream sauce or mushroom risotto. This champagne is made for the table and for a full menu, relying on freshness and minerality rather than opulence.