Highy respected Champagne critic Michael Edwards advised us that a visit to M Christophe Constant at Vergnon ‘ vaut le détour’, and he was only wrong in the sense that there was not much detour involved, as Champagne Vergnon is located in the heart of the most famous village of all, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, which always features in our visits.

A gifted and well-known oenologue, Christophe has excellent raw materials to work with, and is helped by the situation of his vines, most of which are located in Avize, Oger and, of course, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. His philosophy is to nurture ripe and mature Chardonnay, usually from old vines, to eschew malolactic fermentation, and to allow the wines a lengthy maturation pre (and post) disgorgement, to facilitate integration and presage a potential for lengthy ageing. A very sound philosophy indeed it would seem.