Claire Drinks Recommended : Jean de Foigny Brut Premier Cru NV Champagne
Edinburgh Airport has lifted the 100ml liquid restriction, meaning you can now carry containers of up to 2 litres in your hand luggage.
Which, naturally, I’ve been taking full advantage of…
A couple of weekends ago I’d opened a bottle of Champagne in Edinburgh but hadn’t finished it before heading down to London. So, knowing about the lifted restrictions, I sealed it with one of my Claire Drinks pressure stoppers, tucked it into an inflatable bottle protector, and packed it into my rucksack.
As you can see… it survived the journey perfectly. 👌
The Champagne in question was the Jean de Foigny Premier Cru Brut Champagne from The Wine Society, a Champagne that, through its ability to consistently overdeliver, comfortably qualifies for Claire Drinks Recommended.
No grandiose packaging, no celebrity endorsement, and at just £27 per bottle, no premium price tag (although it has gone up by £1 since I bought a bottle last week 🙄). Just proper traditional method sparkling wine that reminds you why Champagne became Champagne in the first place.
It delivers everything I look for in Champagne. It’s neither aggressively austere nor cloyingly fruity. Instead, it sits in that very smart middle ground where ripe orchard fruit and brioche notes are carried by fresh, citrus acidity and a mouthwatering finish.
Texture matters in wine far more than we often give it credit for, and it’s all here: a creamy mousse, bright fizz, and just enough weight on the palate to feel satisfying without becoming tiring.
There’s plenty of autolytic character to remind you this is traditional method, but not so much that it becomes overly serious. You get freshness first, complexity second, resulting in a very drinkable bottle.
Jean de Foigny qualifies for its Premier Cru status through its blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier, sourced from Premier Cru classified vineyards. Out of Champagne’s 319 villages, only 44 hold the Premier Cru title. These vineyards are typically situated on prime chalky slopes with excellent drainage and sun exposure, ideal conditions for achieving ripeness while retaining freshness. While some Premier Cru Champagnes are single-village expressions, many, like the Jean de Foigny, are blends of fruit from multiple Premier Cru sites to create consistency, balance and quiet prestige.
The Wine Society has always been particularly strong at sourcing wines that punch above their weight, and this Champagne is very much in that mould.
For its clear expression of traditional method sparkling wine, the quality you’d expect from Champagne, and a price that still feels sensible, it has become a standard in the tasting kits I send out to my wine students.
Of course being Champagne, it’s also remarkably versatile with food. Salty canapés, creamy, nutty cheeses, fried and battered dishes, chips… and an extremely dangerous pairing with crisps if you’re not careful.
Now, when are Edinburgh Airport going to lift the restriction on corkscrews?
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