Falstaff (98)

An immediate nuttiness of grilled hazelnut along with freshly cut red apple peel, an edge of white pepper and melted candlewax mark the nose – very unusual. With air, this slowly verges onto baked skin of plum. That nuttiness is also apparent on the palate with a real phenolic and textural element, there is much density, almost a chewiness. Very fine acidity runs through this wine, expressing the customary Bollinger creaminess, underlined by finest foam, revealing a lovely hint of pithy bitterness, more pepper and nuances of ripeness expressed by baking spice. A most gastronomic Champagne and only at the beginning of a long trajectory.

James Suckling (99)

This is an extraordinary, hand-crafted Champagne with aromas of strawberries, spice, dried apples, clementines and subtle bread dough. Dried oranges, too. Full-bodied, yet so tight, compact and powerful with a solid core of fruit and a finish that goes on forever. 90% pinot noir and 10% chardonnay, all from the village of Ay and fermented and aged in new wood for 15 months. Then aged in bottle. Superb structure and complexity. One for the cellar.

James Suckling (99)

This is an extraordinary, hand-crafted Champagne with aromas of strawberries, spice, dried apples, clementines and subtle bread dough. Dried oranges, too. Full-bodied, yet so tight, compact and powerful with a solid core of fruit and a finish that goes on forever. 90% pinot noir and 10% chardonnay, all from the village of Ay and fermented and aged in new wood for 15 months. Then aged in bottle. Superb structure and complexity. One for the cellar.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The 2013 Brut Grand Cru Aÿ Argonne is the latest in a series of superb releases from Giraud. Unwinding in the glass with notes of buttered toast, crisp yellow orchard fruit, honeycomb, warm spices and ripe stone fruits, it's full-bodied, deep and vinous, with a layered core of concentrated fruit, incisive acids and an elegant pearly mousse. Long and penetrating, it's finer-boned than its richer, more muscular 2012 predecessor; but like that more structured wine, it will reward bottle age.

James Suckling (98)

Beautiful interplay of vivacity and silkiness. Vibrant and phenolic, yet also supple with long, caressing layers of crushed almond, brown butter, apricot, praline, white chocolate and hints of sage. Really opens up. Fantastic integration. 100% new barrels from selected parcels of the Argonne forest. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (95)

Gorgeous notes of hazelnuts, apricots, salted almonds, lemons and pistachio shells. Medium to full body with opulence, yet elegance, and a silky quality to the bubbles. Saline and gourmand finish. Nutty and light French-butter notes come through. Only 2,000 bottles. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (95)

Gorgeous notes of hazelnuts, apricots, salted almonds, lemons and pistachio shells. Medium to full body with opulence, yet elegance, and a silky quality to the bubbles. Saline and gourmand finish. Nutty and light French-butter notes come through. Only 2,000 bottles. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (97)

An edgy, lively Champagne with bread dough, dried apples and apricots. Toffee with caramel with a lifted sense. Light oxidation with some nuts and saltiness. Full-bodied and very layered with so much going on. Creme brulee, pie crust and zingy acidity. Minty and lively. Strawberries and oranges coming through. This is 80% pinot noir and 20% chardonnay, all fermented in wood, 60% new. Drink now.

Vinous (97)

The MV 16 is bright, fresh and airy and yet has the natural richness of Aÿ that Giraud fans have come to expect. Apricot, tangerine oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, chamomile and dried flowers all meld together in a creamy, ample Champagne that hits all the right notes. A Champagne of towering presence, the MV 16 is classy, understated and undeniably alluring. It is also one of the most impressive Champagnes I have ever tasted from Claude Giraud. Even in the early going, the 70% new oak is so well-integrated. This set of new releases is full of highlights, but the MV 16 is especially fine. Don't miss it! Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: December 11, 2020.

Matthew Jukes (19)

Made from 100% Grand Cru Aÿ fruit – 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay – with 66% coming from the 2017 vintage. The balance is taken from a perpetual reserve that dates back to 1990. It sees a huge amount of oak, and this forest of staves forms the backdrop to this extraordinary performance. Deep gold in colour, there is a staggeringly full nose of brioche and panettone over an orange zest palate, and toasted almond notes come at you from all angles. The finish is thrillingly long with amazingly bold oak-smoke details. There is an air of luxury here that verges on the gastronomic as opposed to the vinous, and I swear I can detect notes of foie gras and roast chicken jus! I left a small amount of wine in the bottle with a stopper and tasted it a week later – it was incredible. Still sparkling, densely perfumed, hugely impactful and massively rich. If you love the wines of Salon, Selosse, Krug, Egly and other mighty Houses, then you will adore the intense fanfare of flavours that accompanies a bottle of Henri Giraud Champagne.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

South Africa's Sweet Wine of the Year 2017.

Decanter (98)

An historical wine, Vin de Constance has been re-established in the last few years as one of the world’s finest sweet wines. Dried Muscat grapes are aged for three years before bottling, in French and Hungarian casks with a touch of acacia wood. Citrus, orange zest, rosewater and spice notes leap out of the glass. The palate has a laser-like focus with massive sweetness perfectly balanced by acidity and a mineral finish. As impressive as Château d’Yquem (and considerably better value).

Tim Atkin MW (98)

Increasingly celebrated as one of the great sweet wines of the world, not just the Cape, Vin de Constance is a delight to taste and review. Slightly drier than the 205 release at 165 grams of sugar, it has more in common with the Loire or Tokaji than it does with Sauternes in terms of freshness and structure.

Matthew Jukes (19.5++)

I am informed by the top man at Klein Constantia that the price will be the same as last year’s superb 2017 and all of the likely candidates in the UK are likely to hold stock. It will require a little effort on Google and you will see that a large number of wine merchants will list 2018 Vin de Constance and while the prices swing around like no other wine I know, at £60 or so, for a half litre, it certainly makes sense to me and when you consider the sheer quality of this vintage, it is a bargain for this celestial experience. Stock is likely to arrive in September 2021, but do feel free to register your interest with your preferred wine merchant now. Vintage reports suggest that the build-up to the 2018 harvest brought the highest summer rainfall of the last six years and, combined with some of the coldest night-time temperatures on record, the vines were granted a very long and very slow growing season. These conditions have imbued extreme delicacy of perfume and flavour and also staggering concentration and length in this wine. It also means that the 2018 vintage has otherworldly characteristics and I cannot remember a young vintage tasting so refined and demure. Light bunches and tiny Muscat de Frontignan berries underline just how unusual this vintage was and with a harvest that was a fortnight later than average and crops down by about 15% all of these facts make sense when you taste this ethereal wine. Aged for three years in a combination of 50% new French oak barrels, a small number of acacia barrels, as well as large format foudres, this is both a sensual and also sensitive wine. For a start, the colour is incredibly pale – think a young Sancerre! But the viscosity is amazing when you pour a glass because the liquid moves ever so slightly slower and more deliberately into the glass. The lights come on and the brain fires up immediately and it takes you by surprise just how quickly your olfactory system senses that you are in the presence of greatness. I was in a state of heightened anticipation, long before I raised the glass to my lips and the reward is exquisite. The perfume and palate combine in an astral haze of delight with orange blossom, fig, lemon verbena, wild honey and acacia notes caressing your senses. The texture is super-smooth, incredibly long and unnervingly gentle. It certainly possesses the longest finish I can remember on a Vin de Constance and I have, very fortunately, a tasted huge number of vintages of this wine. If you have never tasted this wine before, please start with this vintage – it will blow your mind. If you have and you are a fan, this is a critical purchase for your collection. I cannot wait to add this wine to my cellar later in the year.

Decanter (98)

Butterscotch, lemon patisserie and peach aromas. Pristine quality to the texture, lively and thrilling, this is a serious, opulent and powerful wine, more on the spiced, nuanced side with aspects of dried herbs, wood scents and bitter lemon and orange with a touch of honeyed lychee. It feels supremely complex and characterful. Sophisticated, layered and balanced with some minerality, a slight graphite edge all of which adds to the whole. It's still extremely youthful but there is real sculpting here, a sense of precision, style and freshness. Well crafted with an extremely long life ahead. A wonder, and one of the best from the estate!