Tiny But Mighty Champagnes
Tiny quantities but mighty Champagnes are on offer again today, from 3 very special producers!
It is an utterly exciting era to be making and drinking Champagne. There is a lot to love about Grower Champagnes EXCEPT the tiny quantities. Once the āworldā discovers them, demand quickly outstrips supply and all of a sudden they are commanding over $300.
Producers like Jerome Prevost, Ulysse Colin, Cedric Bouchard are just a few names that come to mind with their small productions, true artisanship and an intimate relationship with the land which results in extraordinary, singular wines.
What Iām presenting today has everything in common with these producers Iāve just mentioned, with one exception (and itās my favorite)ā¦the āworldā has not yet caught on. How I found the last producerā¦good lordā¦it was so much work, but worth it.
First, letās talk about the first two producers. I have one wine from each: Christian Gosset and Waris Larmandier. They are two relatively new producers, both working with Grand Cru terroirs and crafting fantastic wines. We had a chance to visit Waris Larmandier earlier this year and saw first hand this gem of an operation in Avize. They are producing world class Chardonnay which Burghound recognized with a solid 93 point score. Christian Gosset was also recognized within the same review for his bottling of pinot noir from Ay. Both Champagnes were included in our Grower Club - they are exceptional and worth your attention.Ā
Cepages: 100% Chardonnnay
Terroir:Ā Avize
Harvest : 2019
Dosage: 4 g/L
Disgorging: May 2022
SRP $91
This is everything you would expect from a Chardonnay grown in the chalky soils of Avize. Chiseled, pure, great cut - a crowd pleaser that delivers the quality you expect from the big names that sell for twice the price!Ā Ā - Vins Rare
The nose is classic blanc de blancs and notably more elegant with its yeasty aromas of Granny Smith apple, Acacia blossom, Meyer lemon and soft spice wisps. The utterly delicious middle weight flavors possess a finer but not necessarily more aggressive mousse, all wrapped in a complex, sappy and beautifully persistent finish. This is excellent and, like the name suggests, this is definitely a āchalkyā Champagne. Note that this could easily be cellared for 5-ish+ years as well as enjoyed now.Ā
- Burghound, 93Ā
Cepages: 85% Pinot Noir Ay | 15% Chardonnay Chouilly
Base Vintage: 2018
Disgorging: 10/2022
Dosage: 2g/L
Champagne Christian Gosset is a new project, where Christian is focused on the terroirs for pinot from AĆæ, which has been home to the Gosset family for over 500 years. Pierre Gosset was the first recorded winemaker of the family tree in 1584. Descendants Gabriel Gosset and his wife AndrĆ©e Brabant produced the first bottles of their eponymous Gosset-Brabant Champagne in the 1930ās. Their son Jean Gosset and his wife further developed the domain after WWII, which was in turn passed onto their children, brothers Michel and Christian, who made wine as a team until 2015. After 35 years of making wine at Champagne Gosset-Brabant, he created a new brand utilizing his five ha of vineyards in the grand cru villages of AĆæ and Chouilly, as well as the premier crus of Mareuil-sur-AĆæ, Dizy and Avenay-Val-dāOr.Ā
-Ā Burghound, 93
There is an even newer producer than Gosset and Waris-Larmandier which Iām thrilled to introduce: Antoine Bouvet. Funny story finding this oneā¦ you might think Iām a one-way street of recommendations, but this is not true. We are kind of a community. A good client of mine introduced me to this producer after his trip to Champagne. He cautioned that the wines were difficult to find even in Epernay (geez!) but he still remembered that wine. It got me all worked up to find it!
So I have been searching and searching, until finally, a new importer Iāve been working with called excited to tell me he had some. āGreat! this is something Iād like to use for our Grower Clubā I exclaimed, only to be shot down. Womp-womp - I could only have 18 bottles (3- 6pks)! Weāll definitely be working on more for the future.
A quick STORY about Antoine Bouvet since heās brand new Vins Rare. Ā In 1970 Guy Bouvet, Antoineās grandfather, launched his domaine with a small holding of vineyards (5 ha) spread across three villages (Mareuil sur Ay, Avenay val dāOr and Bisseuil). Guy worked largely by himself selling most of the production to Bollinger.
From an early age, Antoine took a budding interest in the family business. He learned from his grandfather the joy of hard work, caring for the land, and the precision of cellar work necessary to make great Champagne. Antoineās love for his grandfather can be seen in the homage to him on the label of his Champagnes.
Antoine attended the Viticampus in Avize and started working with his grandfather in 2011. Two short years later, at the age of 17, he took over the operations of the domaine. Like so many of the new generation, organic conversion is something Antoine started immediately. By 2014, 40% of the vineyards were organic and since 2020, 100% are organic and biodynamic practices are taking root throughout.
Bouvet is working with some exceptional old vines but whatās most notable are his decisions that have revealed themselves, with time and patience, in the quality of the grapes. This and his precise winemaking tactics have turned out some extraordinary wines!
Apologies for the TINY quantities. But please stay tuned in the future as we search for more.
All of these Champagnes are for the true connoisseur. Youāll want to stay abreast of each of these young growers. We drink them at home, love the wines, their stories and highly recommend them for you and your family and friends.
Antoine Bouvet Champagne Mareuil Sur Ay Blanc des Noirs Extra Brut - $85
Plot: Le Mont, Grateuil & Faubourg DāEnfer
Cepages: 100% Pinot Noir
Year of planting: 1994, 1993 & 2000
Terroir: Mareuil Sur Ay
Harvest : 2019
Dosage: 0g/L
Disgorging: Nov 29, 2023
Antoine Bouvet Bisseuil Extra Brut - $85
Plot:Ā Les Rocheforts / Les Pautes
Cepages: 50% Chardonnay / 50% Pinot Noir
Year of Planting: 1958 / 1964
Terroir: Bisseuil
Harvest: 2019 & 2020
Dosage: 0g/L
Residual Sugar: 2g/L
Disgorging: Nov 29, 2023
This is Antoine Bouvetās cider from 100% organic apples and pears. Faun says to think Kombucha.
