Bernard Lonclas Cuvée Prestige, NV, Champagne, France

Bernard's miraculously good Cuv̩ée Prestige. Two more miracles and he'd be canonised.

Bernard Lonclas say that this can be drunk at any time and until dawn. We agree. We like to open this top blend - with its creamy, brioche and pastry flavours laced with toasted almonds and white flowers - over breakfast of an almond croissant and fresh strawberries. We then like to toast the sun over the yardarm. It's a beautiful treat with a simple truffle pasta lunch or as an aperitif in the evening. And then, before you know it, it's dawn and time to start all over again. Santé Monsieur Lonclas.

Bernard Lonclas says the first sound he remembers is the cork popping from the bottle that toasted his birth. Bit sceptical? It's not meant literally. What Bernard is saying is that he was born and raised in the Champagne region, so it's more than a trade: it's his calling, his lifeblood. His Champagne house is located in the tiny village of Bassuet, south east of the region's enormously famous names. But what Bernard and his dynamic daughter Aurelie have found are 9 hectares of near perfect chalky slopes.

[shortstart]Rich, floral, brioche, & dangerously quaffable. Croissants & Champagne, anyone?[shortend]