Light yellow. Deeply pitched aromas of peach nectar, honey, buttered toast and smoky oak. Sappy, chewy and expansive on the palate, with ripe, spice-accented orchard and pit fruit flavors braced by juicy acidity. Reminds me a lot of a top-notch Meursault. Finishes broad, smoky and very long, with firm mineral cut and suave floral character.

Based in the small town of Hermonville, to the north-west of Reims, this estate is now run by brothers Frédéric and Rodolphe, but was founded by their great-grandfather in 1919. This part of Champagne lacks chalk soils, and the sandiest plots have avoided the devastating hand of phylloxera - the vines average 45 years old and are ungrafted. Fermentation and ageing in oak, resting on lees for a minimum of 60 months, and no malo, is the hallmark of the Minière style. The Cuvée Influence really benefits from this combination, with clean, doughy lemon flavours and a touch of butter richness. Thanks to the blocked malo it remains really fresh, and steely mineral notes shine through on the dry finish.