Grower Champagne - Trailblazers

In the world of Grower Champagnes, this cuvée stands out as a unique and distinctive voice. It comes from a single vineyard named ‘Les Sables’ in the village of Oeuilly, where the Tarlant family have been based since 1687. It’s made from 100% ungrafted Chardonnay vines, planted in 1962. The sandy soils of this site are particularly inhospitable to phylloxera, meaning the vines could be planted in this ancient manner, and the resulting purity of expression in the wine is arresting. There’s a sweet floral note on the nose, leading to a smoky echo of dried camomile. Its chewy acidity gives the palate extraordinary youth and energy; it’s incredible to think the wine is almost 20 years old. It’s spent almost all that time ageing in bottle (sur lattes) before disgorgement in 2024 has preserved the primary apple character of the fruit and chalky length of the wine with remarkable clarity. The zero dosage (no added sugar in the liqueur de tirage at disgorgement) means the wine has a savoury bite to cut through the richness achieved through long ageing. This is an outstanding portrait of the great 2006 vintage, which has produced wine that will drink beautifully for years to come. 0 g/l dosage. Made in tiny quantities.

The Zéro Brut Nature is the signature cuvée of the Tarlant family. They place great emphasis on maturity: in the vineyard (with a proliferation of old vines); in barrel (using long ageing in old oak), and in bottle, sur lattes (long lees ageing before disgorgement and release). As a result the most recent release of their wonderful Zéro Brut Nature has 2016 at its heart, where most other Champagne houses are on 2019 or 2021. The wine shows fabulous complexity and depth thanks to its unusually long ageing. It is tightly-wound, with a vinous concentration and length. Its extended ageing in bottle before disgorgement adds depth and creaminess. Blind, you'll trip over yourself saying it's Krug. If we had a 'house' grower champagne, this would be it.

The Egly-Ouriet wines are chalky, persistent, and deep, with an effortless and stylish richness from their extended ageing. This release of their Brut Tradition (exclusively from Grand Cru vineyards) was disgorged in 2024.

There is a charming tale behind this wine. It was first created in 2016 as a family project to celebrate a new generation at the domain, with daughter Clémence joining her father in the winemaking. It is a classic blend of equal parts Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. 1g/l dosage. It's a fantastic entry point to the domaine.

This comes from a recently purchased parcel which straddles two premier cru lieux-dits. Unlike most of the Egly Ouriet wines which champion Pinot Noir, this is heavily reliant on Chardonnay, and makes a nice point of difference in the range.

This is the pinnacle of the Egly Ouriet cellar. A single vineyard Pinot Noir Grand Cru masterpiece from their home village of Ambonnay. It's a thrilling as they come.

2015 was a warm year in Champagne and has produced ripe wines with excellent balance. As ever, the family team at Egly-Ouriet have handled their grand cru fruit with meticulous care, producing a wine of great ageing potential.

The heritage of these Chardonnay vines couldn't be more impeccable: a massal selection from Selosse’s vines in Avize and Dauvissat's in Chablis. It is zero dosage, but thanks to its long élevage, has a richness and power, setting it apart from more fragile, filigree blanc de blancs. It already has a strong following in the market.

This 100% Pinot Noir comes from the Vouette lieu dit, just next to the domaine, which has an advantageous south facing aspect where good maturity can be reached. Zero dosage.

This excellent blanc de blancs draws on the great villages of the Côte des Blancs (Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Cramant and Avize), and gives a perfect portrait of the Pierre Péters style, where a good proportion of the reserve wine in the blend comes from the domaine's 'perpetual reserve' started in 1988.

Like many of the Pierre Péters wines, this comes principally from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, with the balance drawn from the grand cru villages of Oger, Avize and Cramant. The difference here is that there is low dosage.

La Grande Réserve is a step up on the Cuvée Réserve, and drawn from four of Rodolphe's top vineyards in the Côte des Blancs (Le Mesnil, Avize, Cramant, Oger) with 20% reserve wine. It is aged for 36 months before disgorgement.

This draws from vines in seven villages, including Grands Crus of Avize, Cramant, Oiry and Oger, and is made up of 90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir. It exemlifies Agrapart's knack for making wines that are equal parts captivating and delicious. It's a non-vintage blend with a boost.

100% Chardonnay. Agrapart have earned many plaudits for their stunning Blanc de Blancs Champagnes. William Kelley of The WIne Advocate recently wrote, "Pascal Agrapart is one of the Côte de Blancs's finest vignerons, and I have long admired the chiseled but powerful wines he produces." He farms 12 hectares of vines, over half of which are within the grand cru village of Avize. His wines have a vinous character, and a wonderful ability to age. Prices look set to rise for the Agrapart wines, and demand is far outstripping supply, so get them whilst you can. This NV blend comes from the 2014 and 2015 vintages, and has been aged 35 months sur lattes. Its 5g/l dosage is more than supported by the superb depth of fruit.

This is an exemplary non-vintage blend made up of 35% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir,35% Chardonnay. It is creamy and precise, so long and savoury. No wonder Antonio Galloni said of the cuvée: "I often find myself reaching for the [Bérêche] NV Brut Réserve, which is reliably one of the very finest Champagnes in its peer group."

This is an exemplary non-vintage blend made up of 35% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir,35% Chardonnay. It is creamy and precise, so long and savoury. No wonder Antonio Galloni said of the cuvée: "I often find myself reaching for the [Bérêche] NV Brut Réserve, which is reliably one of the very finest Champagnes in its peer group."

A 50:50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from two excellent sites in Lude, Les Hautes Plantes and St-Jean. There's a salinity to the body of the wine, derived from the limestone soil of the sites.

All of the fruit comes from the village of Ormes, with 5% stil red wine (Pinot Noir, naturally) giving the wine its delicate rosé colour, and fresh arromas of soft red berries which lead the attack.

Less than half a hectare of old (60 year+) vines go into this wine, so production is extremely limited. it shows the sunshine of the vintage, with the intensity and precision of the Bérêche style.

A magnificent iteration in magnum: Grand Cru in all senses.

This rare wine was first released in 2023 from the domaine. It comes form vineyards in Beauxregards, Le Cran, Mailly, Ambonnay, Aÿ, Cramant and Rilly La Montagne. Rare and highly prized.

Magnums of top-drawer grower Champagne are a rare gem to unearth. The perpetual reserve used here dates back to 1986, and the wine shows nutty, oxidative notes reminiscent of Jura wines.