Champagne Guy de Forez, 'Millésime', 2018, Champagne (AOC)

'One-Liner'
Vintage Côte des Bar Pinot Noir with real depth – nectarine, flowers and honey layered with brioche, fine bubbles and a beautifully poised finish.

Tasting Note
Bright gold in the glass with a fine, persistent mousse, opening with aromas of ripe nectarine and orchard fruit alongside delicate flowers, honey and freshly baked brioche. The palate is generous and structured, with Pinot Noir giving the wine breadth and weight while lively acidity keeps everything fresh and precise. Notes of stone fruit and pastry develop through the middle, joined by a subtle honeyed richness as the wine opens. There is real vinosity here, making this feel as comfortable at the dinner table as it does in a Champagne flute. Long and elegant on the finish, with ripe fruit, brioche and a gently savoury freshness lingering behind.

Country: France
Region: Champagne
Sub-Region: Côte des Bar – Les Riceys
Grape(s): 100% Pinot Noir
ABV: 12%
Friendly: Sustainable

Awards & Critics' Scores
Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2024 – Gold Medal

The Story
Guy de Forez is a grower Champagne house based in Les Riceys, at the southern end of the Côte des Bar, where Pinot Noir is very much the star of the show. Around 97% of the family’s vineyard is planted to the variety, rooted in the Kimmeridgian clay and limestone soils that give this corner of Champagne such a close geological connection to nearby Chablis. The 2018 Millésime is made entirely from Pinot Noir from a single harvest, allowing both the richness of the vintage and the naturally fuller style of Les Riceys to come through. It is a fine example of why vintage Blanc de Noirs from the Côte des Bar can offer such an appealing combination of Champagne finesse and genuine vinous depth.

Perfect With... (click me for the recipe)
- Meat/fish: Sea bass with artichokes
- Vegetarian: Roast beetroot, goat’s cheese and caramelised shallot Wellington
- Vegan: Roast celeriac with Puy lentils, braised shallots and peppercorn jus