Barons de Rothschild : Concordia Brut

The NV Brut Concordia blends 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, using 40% reserve wines, some from a perpetual reserve. Slight smokiness opens the nose, revealing creamy ripe apple flesh and a touch of mandarin peel. Lively mousse and a linear freshness on the palate immediately convey purity and poise. Finest foam washes around chalkiness on a slender bright body. Everything about this wine exudes understatement and sophistication in a harmonious package. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. (Lot LS40D64W2) - Anne Krebiehl MW

Silver-coloured white gold. Initially somewhat reductive on the nose, then delicate notes of yeast bread, meadow herbs and citrus. Lively on the palate, medium-fine mousse, slightly tart undertones of grapefruit in the slightly citrusy finish.

The first cuvée the Rothschilds created, the NV Champagne Concordia Brut is 60% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Noir, 60% from the 2019 vintage and the rest reserve wine. It pours a bright pale yellow hue and offers aromas of sweet pears, fresh flowers, yeasty bread dough, and candied lemon. Medium-bodied and refreshing, it has a spritely, fluffy mousse and is charming and approachable. It will be best enjoyed as a fresh style over the next couple of years. This saw 6 grams per liter dosage and four years aging in the cellar before release. 300-350,000 bottles were produced, accounting for 70% of their annual production.

An appealingly juicy, smooth-textured opening blend from Barons de Rothschild marries the house’s trademark Chardonnay purity with an easy apricot and stewed-apple fruitiness from 40% Pinot Noir sourced from the Montagne de Reims. With four years on the lees and a significant 40% reserve wine in the blend, there’s some toasted brown bread depth beneath the slightly charred citrus, with a reductive character evident too.