Growers' Champagnes

Tasted 'blind' in a line-up of inexpensive champagnes (as well as one Grande Marque) this showed remarkably well, coming out as a clear winner. Bright, light and very fresh, this is an easy drinking 'aperitif' champagne...(read more)

Based in the village of Cuchery in the Marne Valley, Mathieu and Nicolas Moussé are the 12th generation of their family to be vignerons and have taken up the baton with enthusiasm. This cuvée is a classic b...(read more)

We're pretty excited about the sheer value of this one: a cuvée of 50% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, vinified 90% in stainless steel and 10% in barrel, aged 36 months in bottle before disgorgement...(read more)

50% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, of which 14% is red. A big vinous wine with a positive colour and rich depth. Rather fun - creamy mousse, could be really fun at the table. Base is 2017. Dosage is 7....(read more)

65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay Old vines (40+ years old and massale sélection) Pinot Noir from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ 1er Cru, Avenay Val d’Or 1er Cru and Chardonnay from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ 1er Cru and Bisseuil 1er...(read more)

70% Pinot Meunier with 15% each of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from 70 different plots of the domaine, and completed with 20% of wine from the 'perpetual reserve', this non-vintage is a Champagne for all occasions. It's qu...(read more)

70% Chardonnay from Bisseuil, a very early-ripening site, with expressive aromas of white flowers and subtle peach. Only 6g/l of dosage, but rich and harmonious, the ripeness from the sunny site. Inviting, simply delicio...(read more)

A cuvée which takes the style of the 'Tradition' and exalts it. Still majority Pinot Meunier, it's from different terroirs. As Gilles put it, this has 'more dried fruit - hazelnuts and apricot'. Deeper gold colour...(read more)

90% Chardonnay from the coteaux sud d’Epernay (Monthelon, Mancy), which have much more in common with the Côte de Blancs than the Marne valley, and a bit of Bisseuil, which may be responsible for the ripe...(read more)

70% 2017, with 30% reserve wines (20% 2015). This fine dry Blanc de Blancs keeps all the airiness of the classic Cote des Blanc villages (it's made from Oger and Avize), while having a rounded mid-palate thanks to the ge...(read more)

55% Chardonnay, 38.5% Pinot Noir plus 6.5% red wine for colour not aroma. From Marieul-sur-Aÿ premier cru. Vintages 2019 and 2020. Disgorged 9 February 2023.
There is a comforting curve to this wine that is a...(read more)

A big, full-blown, powerful blanc de noirs (100% Pinot Noir from the Grand Cru vineyards of Bouzy), which nevertheless retains a balance and freshness along with its considerable vinosity. Rated even higher than Bollinge...(read more)