Alfred Gratien Cuvée Paradis '15

What to expect - Jaw dropping new vintage a true artisanal producer - Pair with Seared Scallops and herbed butter - Aged in the cellar for 8+ years The first nose is fresh and pure. It opens with aeration on grapefruit to let then come iodized notes and exotic fruits like passion fruit, pineapple and lime. Delicate touches of brioche bring the touch of greediness. On the palate, the Paradis cuvée is smooth and delicate, with notes of tangy white fruits, green apple, fresh currants and rhubarb. The chalky minerality brings the final touch to the wine. This beautiful champagne is ripe enough to drink, but it also has a bright future. Perfect maturity should be from 2023 onwards. "Gratien’s prestige champagne is called Cuvée Paradis, and while it has always been made from a single year, the 2006 was the first to be vintage-dated. It was first made in the 1985 vintage, and it used to include a small percentage of meunier—since 2002, however, it has been made exclusively from chardonnay and pinot noir from grand cru villages. It’s a blend of 65 percent chardonnay and 35 percent pinot noir, with the majority of chardonnay evident in the wine’s lithe structure, and it balances its bright, lively acidity with a typically Gratien creaminess of texture. This needs plenty of time in the cellar to develop, but it promises to be superb." Peter Liem About the house If exceptional had a name, it would be Champagne Alfred Gratien . Alfred Gratien champagnes are handcrafted for guaranteed quality and consistency. A few miles away from Epernay’s bustling town center, deep in the heart of a Champagne vineyard, are the Alfred Gratien champagne cellars. It was here, on Rue Maurice Cerveaux, that Alfred Gratien set up his business and created his first cuvées in 1864. For over a century and a half, Alfred Gratien champagnes have remained a family affair perpetuated by the expertise and know-how of their founder. Food suggestion This decidedly saline wine is a superb pair for larger shellfish and fish with silky, compact flesh such as lobster, rock lobster, sea bass, turbot and John Dory.