It’s 20 years since I got excited about the first real movement in ‘grower’ Champagnes (I don’t like the term but dont have a better one).
Brought into the spotlight by Anselme Selosse, and featuring (for me) Lilbert, Gimmonet, Peters, Vilmart. Launois, Diebolt-Vallois, Hebrart and many others, quite a few of which had been around for a long time. This was to me a whole new world, bringing lower dosage and a more lean mineral style different to the toasty, brioche of the big houses (yes yes huge generalisation)…
But now, there seems to me to be a whole new generation of producers, often working with very small volumes (land isn’t cheap!) and a renewed focus on still wines.
I would include producers such as (in no order) Lurquin, Stroebel, Feneiul, Cordeuil, Bougy, Alexis, Rogerie, Brochet (both of them), Servagnat, Leclere, Casanova, Christian Gosset, Dechannes, Gauditabois, Rogerie, Lefevre, Girard-Bonnet, Courtin, Bouvet, Benard, Nowack, and plenty of others.
I don’t think they are all exported (other than to Italy usually where demand is crazy).
But just a short post to highlight these in one place.
Also worth mentioning the real focus on still wines, several of the above are using their best grapes for their Coteaux not their Champagnes, though prices remain high of course, but not really compared with the same quality burgundies, and they bring a really interesting cooler climate style.
(I sell some of these but not to the US/UK)…
Keep an eye out and let’s talk about some of these producers.