The Paul Bara Special Club Rosé 2018 is a grower Champagne from the Grand Cru village of Bouzy, built on Pinot Noir and shaped for the table rather than the aperitif tray. The 2018 is generous and red-fruited without losing the chalky tension that keeps Bouzy honest.

Wild strawberry, white raspberry and blood orange lead the aromatics, with pastry, toasted almond and a faint woodsy note from bottle age sitting underneath. Air brings out rosehip and a dab of red cherry skin.

The bead is fine and persistent, carrying a palate that feels silky at first and then firms up through the middle, red fruit meeting a dry, mineral spine. It finishes long and savoury, more grip than gloss, with the dosage kept low enough that the fruit reads ripe rather than sweet.

Bouzy rosé of this weight belongs with food: roast duck breast, salmon crisped in the pan, jamón and aged comté, or a bowl of steamed prawns with aioli. Spiced grilled chicken works well too, the fruit standing up to a marinade that would flatten a lighter fizz.

Drinking beautifully from now, and the structure of the 2018 vintage should carry the Special Club Rosé through to around 2032. Serve it a touch warmer than you think, in a white wine glass.