In front of me sit two bottles that bookend a remarkable little chapter in Ardnamurchan’s story: the very first release of the Ardnamurchan Paul Launois and the newest, the 2026 edition. The wine that filled these barrels at the Paul Launois vineyard was Chardonnay, the wine that would eventually go on to become champagne. The original release is pure fun in a glass. The 2026 release shares that lemon backbone but pushes everything further and, crucially, drier. I give the 2026 an eight and the first release an eight and a half.