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07 Dec 2023 |

RULES FOR BUYING CHAMPAGNE: NEW CHAMPAGNES!

Rules For Buying Champagne For the Holidays

Rule #1) Do it

Well, my work here is done.  Pretty easy list to follow right? I mean, those of us that already love Champagne are ever looking for an excuse to buy, gift or consume the bouncy nectar. Those looking for holiday gifts and are unsure what kind of wine their recipient might like, Champagne makes a perfect gift as everyone needs at least one bottle of Champagne for upcoming New Year celebrations, and those looking for gifts for hardcore wine lovers are hard pressed to find a more thrilling, transformative, or metamorphic region in all of France right now than what is happening in Champagne. 

Grower Champagne has never been hotter, take that from a store that has stocked nothing but growers for over 20 years. Young winemakers moving to organic and biodynamic farming, weather changes, a passion for single vineyard, single variety Champagnes with lower dosage, (added sugar), and a noble desire to honor the soils that give those families life, are all culminating into an explosive and constantly developing source for truly breathtaking wines. The end of this year had us tasting a head spinning amount of new-to-us grower Champagnes that I knew needed to be here at The Wine Country for our wicked cool, and extremely savvy bubble loving crowd. Below is a list of new arrivals, brand new or new releases of old favorites just in time for the holidays.

 N.V. Francis Orban Extra Brut

$50.99

Founded in 1929, Orban was one of the early adaptors to bottling their own wine rather than selling off all of it to the large houses. Leopold Orban came on board at 19 years old and was instantly drawn to winemaking, with an eye on the often over looked Pinot Meunier. Since he took over the estate now has 90% of their vines planted to Pinot Meunier with 10% to Chardonnay. This Extra Brut benefits from very healthy, and ripe fruit, so while there are only 3 grams of sugar, the wine drinks like there is more, because it is so full. More to the citrus and pear side of things, with a tiny, fine bead of bubbles and a wonderfully tart snap on the finish.

N.V. Girard-Bonnet Grand Cru Extra Brut

$67.99 

Mi Chemin, or “My path” refers to his using both his parents’ vineyards to make his way and share his passion for his homeland. Something he sweetly gives a nod to on the label. His wines are certified organic and made from 100% Chardonnay.

N.V. De Sousa Tradition Brut

$51.99

The Sousa family settled in Avize after a family member, that left Portugal to help fight with the French, ended up settling in Champagne and falling in love, he married a local who came from a line of grape growers. The wines are now organically farmed, right down to ploughing by horse to avoid tractors crushing the fertile and healthy soils. Made from 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier. This bubbly has an “old school” feel to me. You get plenty of yeasty and bready aromas, along with a roasted note that reminds me a bit of coffee loaded up with lots of sweet cream. Broad and delightfully satisfying on the palate with a long, biscuity finish.

N.V. Bolieu Pepin de Vigne Extra Brut

$49.99

Made from 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Meunier this wine offers a ton of flavor and style at a very fair price. Deep citrus notes with lemon curd and lime rind bouncing back and forth. Light and elegant on the palate with plenty of length. Crowd pleaser.

N.V. Savart & Dremont Pere & Fils Grand Cru Ephemere

$92.99

This label is a collaboration between Frederic Savart, a much revered and admired small grower, one that I have personally been following for years, and whose wines I have been begging our importer for, and another small grower, Dremont. They got together to farm and produce wines from vineyards in the region that were not being farmed to their full potential. There is truly skilled growing and winemaking at play in this rare Chardonnay based wine. Full of salty, briny, mineral notes, with fresh cut green apple skin and bruleed lemon curd on brioche. The wine evolves in the glass, revealing some floral, graham cracker, buttered cashews and cut grass. Laser focused with bright, mouth tingling acidity. 

Noel Bazin Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut "L'unanime 

$52.99

Here we are rich with stewed apples, nuts and marzipan. Dry and extremely complex with a linger that just keeps giving. Big wine that is ready for some big flavors. Think spiced meats, Asian food, and ripe, soft cheeses

N.V. Lancelot-Royer Grand Cru Cuvee Chevaliers Brut

$61.99

I tend to lose track of this regal grower Champagne every couple years, and I kick myself right in the rump for allowing it to happen each time. Here you have a haunting blend of fruit and super-fragrant blooming white flowers. Nutty, toasted, baked stone fruit with a brilliant, and balancing floral lift. Fills the palate with warm fruit and finishes bright and refreshing. Oh, and there is 0 added sugar.

N.V. Jean Vesselle Brut Reserve 

$46.99

The Vesselle family have been farming vines in Champagne for over 300 years. Located in the heart of Bouzy, Grand Cru Pinot Noir country, this estate offers a luscious and rich style of Champagne that just screams pleasure. The Brut Reserve is 80%Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay with plenty of dosage which gives it another layer of lusciousness on top of the ripe fruit. Think flaky, buttery crust, pear and apple, with skin and spice, slow poached in vanilla and lemon oil sauce. Decadent and ultra-satisfying. Craveable in fact.

Jean Vesselle N.V. Brut Champagne "Oeil de Perdrix"

$60.99

Made from 100% Pinot Noir this delicate but generous Rose is a shoulder rub in a glass, in that it gives you that little indulgent groan from outright pleasure. “Oiel de Perdrix” means eye of the partridge and refers to the pale pink color of this sparkler. Blood orange, slightly herbal notes and wisps of flowering lavender on the nose. Dry, more floral notes on the palate with a tiny bead of dancing bubbles. Very pretty wine.

N.V. Claude Cazals Grand Cru Cuvee Rose

$64.99

I stumbled across this brilliant rose Champagne while on a recent visit to Champagne. I saw a familiar name on the ine list but, it was not wearing the "uniform" I was used to. Cazals has always been a badass Blanc de Blancs producer to me, but here it was, in Reims on a wine bar list, and I knew I had to try it. I was blown away. The second I was back home I got a hold of the importer and begged to get a couple cases for the shop. Delicate red fruit, nutty, toasty, deep roasted citrus rind and a kiss of honeyed graham cracker. Simply beautiful. Bring on the fried nubbins, salty meats or for me? A taller glass.

2014 Clos Cazals Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

$187.99

One of the most rare and refined Champagnes we are lucky enough to stock. 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay from vines planted in the late 50s, all from a walled in vineyard called a Clos in France. The winemaker spent years trying to convince her father that the vines from that single patch of land were capable of making world class Blanc de Blancs and should not be blended into the regular bottling of Cazals Blanc de Blancs, her father finally relented and allowed her to produce a small amount from the Clos. Sadly he passed away before she could share her results with him but her wines from that place are coveted by nearly every starred restaurant and wine store in France. Packed with almonds and meaty cashew notes. More almond biscuits on the palate but with braised citrus, sea shell, buttery crust and whispers of floral flavors. Sexy and massive but in the finest of ways. Feels almost like someone is unrolling velvet across the palate, thick, soft and crave inducing. The finish is luxurious and bright at the same time. Seriously fine wine. 

2018 Famille Mousse Les Fortes Terres Special Club

$134.99

This is a “Nerd Alert” wine on two fronts. One, it’s from Famille Mousse which is a favorite to many wine industry, Champagne lovers. Their being steady and passionate champions for making Pinot Meunier based wines, full of red and tropical fruit, make them stand way out in a sea of sameness, like Moet and Veuve Clicquot. The other reason, this is a Special Club bottling which makes it some of the rarest in all of Champagne. Champagne lover in your life need a gift? Look no further. Quince and tart red fruit, baked crust, honeysuckle and toasted almonds. High minerals and acidity so this can hold up to some hearty foods, or a few years in the wine fridge.  

N.V. Michel Turgy Grand Cru Reserve Selection Brut

$57.99

The Turgy family have been farming Chardonnay in Mesnil, a Grand Cru village, for over 100 years. The wines are now all hand harvested, and the addition of 30% reserve wines dating back to the 80s are included in the blend. Here you get tremendous depth, richness, complexity and weight. Warm citrus notes, brioche, toasted hazelnuts and even more citrus cream on the long, intense, finish.

2013 Vilmart & Cie Emotion Brut Rose

$189.99

The 60% Pinot Noir/40% Chardonnay rose from this highly respected Champagne producer is truly an elite bottle. You'll want to open this during your most special celebrations.Disgorged in April 2020 (that’s a lot of time on the lees), this salmon-colored triumph is nothing short of amazing.  Stunning aroma, nearly fat texture, extremely complex flavor that defies description, and incredibly long finish makes this a celebratory bottle you’ll remember long after it is gone.

2015 H. Billiot Grand Cru Essence de Billiot Extra Brut

$215.99

This is the first time we've been able to offer this ultra-rare bottling from the Grand Cru Pinot Noir region near Ambonnay (600 bottles is the equivalent of 50 12-bottle cases), an attempt by winemaker Laetitia Billiot to capture the pure essence of Billiot Pinot without a secondary dosage.  "Medium to full-bodied, vinous and muscular, it's taut and tightly wound, with tangy acids and a chalky, bone-dry finish that's a little austere at this early stage."--RobertParker.com  I'd love to be around 20 years from now to experience its development.

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