I must admit that i know absolutely nothing about Champagne and am looking to broaden my horizons. need some recommendations on different styles, producers etc… price range is somewhere in the $40 to $60 if possible. TIA
Berto’s got your back on the grower stuff. He sells all of them as well.
The Bollinger Special Cuvee is their standard NV blend and it is still a value locally under $50 for a non grower wine. Easy go to when available. Duval-Leroy is a decent value for a lighter tarter style.
Skip many of the other big house NV blends though like Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label and White Star unless you want to make a comparison to see what poor values they are against the others.
Anything by Jean Milan is fantastic. I once asked our Champagne buyer to recommend what he would consider to be “Poor Man’s Krug” (something I could afford) and he picked the Francois Hemart NV, and the Vilmart & Cie NV (both $60). Love them. Been hooked on that ever since.
I just had a killer, very classy Cedric Bouchard “Urseles” the other day. You can pick up Bouchard’s “Inflorescence” bottling for $60, and I bet it’s great as well.