This feels a little more evolved than you might expect, aromas of crusty bread, honey, oatmeal, walnut and toasted seeds coming to the fore. It's extremely pleasing to sip and savour, because the mousse is soft and giving. Notes of sweet clementine appear, as well as a nip of tangy grapefruit, and the finish is layered with a crust of flaky salt. Lip smacking and delectable.

The 2012 La Grande Dame is a dense, powerful Champagne. Now with a few years post-disgorgement, the 2012 is starting to show the first signs of aromatic development. Dried pear, chamomile, spice, light honey and marzipan are beautifully amplified throughout. The blend is 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, with the weight of Pinots from the southern part of the appellation lending considerable volume. Compared to the wines that follow it, the 2012 feels very much like it has one foot in the older style here. Disgorged: February 2021.