Champagne Lallier’s annual Réflexions release is an intriguing hybrid of vintage and N/V. Instead of around 60 or 70 per cent of wine from a particular vintage, as in many N/Vs, a Réflexion has a far higher percentage. The wines from previous years then ensure the balance between ‘purity, freshness, intensity and depth’ that cellar master Dominique Demarville describes as the house style of this producer from Aÿ, in the Vallée de la Marne. The latest Lallier Réflexion, R.020 (£55), is now available in the UK after a vintage-style three years of ageing on the lees. With 81 per cent of its wine from 2020, this blend of 51 per cent chardonnay and 49 per cent pinot noir has more floral aroma (acacia) than the more citrusy R.019, and its stone-fruit notes are riper.

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