Lacourte-Godbillon Brut Nature Premier Cru, Champagne

Champagne Lacourte-Godbillon is one of the exciting grower producers bringing fresh attention to the vineyards of the Montagne de Reims. Based in the Premier Cru village of Écueil, the estate is run by husband and wife Richard and Géraldine Lacourte, who have built on generations of family grape growing with a thoughtful approach to farming and winemaking. Their Champagnes are admired for their purity, character and ability to express the chalky soils of Écueil. The Brut Nature is a particularly revealing wine, made without added dosage, allowing the quality of the fruit and the vineyard to speak for themselves.

Pinot Noir is the dominant grape in Écueil, where the vineyards produce wines with generous fruit, fine structure and a distinctive mineral character. Lacourte-Godbillon's approach combines careful vineyard work with fermentation and maturation designed to preserve texture and complexity. The Brut Nature receives no sugar addition at disgorgement, so there is nothing to soften or disguise the wine's natural acidity. Instead, the emphasis falls on ripe fruit, fine bubbles and the savoury detail that comes from time spent ageing on lees. It is a wonderfully gastronomic style of Champagne, with the substance to accompany a meal.

Pale gold with a delicate, persistent bead. Crisp apple, ripe pear and lemon zest mingle with white flowers, toasted brioche and a hint of hazelnut. Subtle notes of chalk, citrus peel and fresh sourdough add further interest. The palate is dry, finely textured and beautifully energetic, with orchard fruit and lemon supported by a creamy mousse. There is a lovely savoury quality beneath the fruit, while bright acidity and a chalky, gently saline character carry through a long, refreshing finish. Precise without being austere, this is a Champagne that rewards attention.

Fresh oysters, grilled King George whiting or scallops with lemon butter would be wonderful companions. It would also be excellent with crab tartlets, mushroom gougères or a leek and Comté quiche. Its bone dry style makes it especially appealing with salty, savoury dishes, although a plate of excellent French fries and a little good company would do the job rather nicely.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2032. Beautifully expressive on release, with enough structure and lees derived complexity to develop additional toasted and savoury notes over the next several years.