1er Cru Brut, Aubry NV (Champagne, France)

This is not your typical non-vintage Brut. The Aubry brothers include ancient indigenous varieties, which make up five percent of the blend; pinot meunier accounts for 45 percent, the balance in equal parts pinot noir and chardonnay. Nearly half of the blend is reserve wine, half of that coming from a solera made up of vintages going back to 1998. If all that seems complicated, the wine is not. Instead, it tastes like an essential Champagne, with scents of chalk, oyster mushroom, pear skin and lemon pulp creating a bold surround-sound of flavor. There’s purity to the expression and a healthy weight to the wine. Pour it with sea bass roasted with chanterelles.