Top five Laurent-Perrier Champagnes to try

A magnificent way to celebrate L-P’s bicentenary. Based on the 1990, ’93 and ’95 vintages, this wine was set aside by Bernard de Nonancourt and Michel Fauconnet specifically for the occasion and bottled only in magnums and jeroboams. It is exotic and intense, full of honeyed lime, brioche and caramelised nut flavours. With a hint of mushroomy age and a long, creamy finish, it’s a wonderfully engaging wine with exuberance and finesse in equal measure.

Always based on three vintages, the forthcoming release of this prestige cuvée is a blend of 1997, ’99 and ’02 and currently tastes almost ethereal in its delicacy. It is still incredibly young but with a complex array of flavours: white flowers, honey, bread, lemon rind and red pear. There’s also minerality, precision and freshness to let it age gracefully.

From the superb 2002 vintage, this equal blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is beautifully refined and structured. Delicate bubbles reveal crisp lemon and yeast aromas, backed by clean lines through the mid-palate and a delicious, spicy finish. Drinking well but worth keeping for a few more years.

Encapsulating the house style, this Chardonnay-dominated blend is restrained and elegant. Based on the 2006 harvest with a splash of 2005 and a little more ’04, it shows fresh apricot fruit with floral overtones and a light, bready note. The finish is tangy and lifted.