Ayala Perle Grand Cru 2012 Champagne: Bubbles of Distinction

Omar Diallo — Classy stuff for a special dinner

7/10

The guy at our local wine shop recommended this when I said we were doing a nice meal at home. It's got this really interesting bread-like quality to it, almost like pastry, with ripe stone fruit underneath. Went brilliantly with the fish course. Would buy again if I had the excuse.

Haruki Sato — Seriously impressive champagne

8/10

Saw this on a restaurant wine list and looked it up later to buy a bottle for home. The Pinot Noir really comes through — it's got proper weight and richness compared to lighter champagnes. That salty finish at the end is something else, keeps you coming back for another sip. My wife and I finished the bottle embarrassingly fast.

Grace Kim — Nice but not £105 nice

6/10

Tried this at a friend's dinner party and it was good, don't get me wrong. Lovely lemony freshness and I liked the chalky dry finish. But honestly for over a hundred quid I expected to be blown away and I wasn't — I've had non-vintage champagnes at half the price that I enjoyed just as much.