Our first offer from Piollot, the 2019 Champs Rayés Brut Nature, is a beautifully distinctive Blanc de Blancs from the Côte des Bar, made from 100% Chardonnay grown from a single parcel in Noé-les-Mallets. Piollot has been farming biodynamically for years, and Champs Rayés is one of the best expressions of that vineyard-focused approach. The site is particularly interesting because Kimmeridgian and Portlandian soils overlap here, creating alternating bands of darker and lighter earth that give the parcel its name. The 2019 comes from vines planted in the 1970s and 1980s, is fermented and aged in tank and oak, then spends roughly five years in bottle before disgorgement, with no dosage. Production is tiny, around 4,500 bottles, and the resulting Champagne is wonderfully precise and energetic, with citrus, orchard fruit, brioche and subtle exotic fruit wrapped around bright acidity and a firm mineral core. It has a great vinous feel and is a serious, terroir-driven Champagne from a grower whose wines continue to stand out for their purity and individuality. The 2019 is a fantastic introduction and a great buy at this price! Keep an eye on this producer!

Decanter (Tom Hewson) 93 pts!  Roland Piollot makes this polished and immediate Chardonnay from a high, west-facing plot in Noë-les-Mallets, with 20% barrel fermentation adding to the sense of aromatic generosity. There are scents of pineapple, juicy apricot and grilled citrus, but plenty of crunchy green apple and pear, too. The ripeness of 2019 is abundant, but there's a lovely sense of restraint and gentle extraction on the medium-build palate that frames it perfectly. (Drink between 2025 - 2028)