I’ve been exploring Champagne over the last 6 months or so and have received a lot of great direction and ideas from existing threads on here. I think I’m starting to focus in on the ones that I like the most so I’m looking for some more specific suggestions within that range.
So far I seem to be leaning heavily (with exceptions) toward Blanc de blancs or Chardonnay-dominant wines, Extra Brut dosage range. Stainless steel vinification and less oxidative styles seem to help, but there are exceptions. I’ve really liked some that have gone through malolactic, but I think I’ve found a higher hit rate among those that haven’t.
Or at least, that’s what I think. In terms of producers, Le Brun Servenay has been my favorite, but other hits have included Brice, Michel Turgy, J L Vergnon, and Damien Hugot. Tarlant Zero was a bit different from what I was looking for but also very good.
I haven’t had any specimens yet that I found objectionable. That said, things I’ve tried and liked but not loved have included wines from Andre Clouet, Dehours, Guy Charlemagne, Paul Bara, and Jean Vesselle. Diebolt-Vallois has been a mixed bag. And I’ve found that, no matter how much I want to be, I’m just not much of a rose Champagne fan.
Any ideas for where to go next? I’ve mostly been playing in the $35-50 range and will occasionally stray above that but please no $100+ recommendations.
How about a bottle of $100+, just to get a reference on how good Champagne can be? 2006 or 2008 Taittinger CdC. Expensive but not prohibitively so, but it would give a reference point. There’s no need to drink them on a regular basis, but I think a single bottle would be a good calibration point to compare against.
Le Brun Servenay is a name that I don’t see often, but have tried a lot of over the last 20 years. While it’s never knocked my socks off it has always been a good glass of bubbles. A local shop has direct imported it for years, so it has also been a fine value.
Not a “sexy” name around these parts, but try Lanson, especially with age. I really like their Cuvee Noble (which comes in a BdB version). I think they use a bit of oak, but no malo.
Other good value BdBs I like are Pierre Moncuit (my house Champagne), and Ayala.
That price point is getting harder to find in the current environment. If that’s the main consideration I’d throw out Raventos BdB as a strong candidate. Comes in under budget and overdelivers for the money. Ages quite well too - I recently had a bottle with 6 years on it which was delicious and had plenty more gas in the tank.
Sticking to champagne specifically, Pierre Peters is a good bet, but definitely going to be over $50. Gimmonet is also going to push the budget, but can still be had for less than $100 and should fit the style preference for the most part.
I don’t have any experience with your preferred producers. Do you like a more full bodied and round blanc de blancs or a more lean mineral style? @Ben_M_a_n_d_l_e_r
Vouette et Sorbée Blanc de Argyle
Nathalie Falmet (PN-dominant)
Marc Herbrart is a good value producer with a BdB (which I haven’t had) that is cheaper than the aforementioned two.
Absolutely. The reason I’m exploring Champagne so far into my wine journey is that I always assumed I wouldn’t be able to find anything worth drinking at a price I could afford. Same reason I’ve never explored Burgundy in any serious fashion, though that one may be true forever. Thank you very much for the recommendations. I’ve seen Gimmonet and Pierre Peters before at prices I can justify so will look into them, as well as the Raventos BdB, which is an easy buy.
I’m still trying to find better ways to describe my experience with Champagne, and my descriptions suffer from a lack of experience and context. Right now I would say that, of the binary you presented, I prefer a lean mineral style, but that doesn’t quite feel like the right description. I feel like in the Champagnes I have enjoyed the most there’s something steely-precise-sculpted-lightfooted accompanied by a real focused intensity on the mid-back palate.
In terms of things I don’t like, there is a stale bread note that I can only assume is an oxidative character, but someone should correct me if I’m wrong on that. Not a fan of that. I find that higher-dosage Champagnes can (but not always) lack the tautness that I like in Champagne, becoming too full and almost blousy.
Yeah, that’s a bit of a false dichotomy I presented you with. I will refrain from giving you a bunch of suggestions, since I don’t really have a good sense of what you enjoy. I will say that I am finding spending more than $50 on Champagne yields outsize dividends relative to other famous wine regions I have explored.
Didn’t see it mentioned but you can also try Bonnaire if you can find it in the US.
It’s a grower winemaker making very shy, laser-like precise BdB, god for everyday consumption. I think they top out at like 200k bottles total.
Just recently they started to make champagne from single vineyard grapes, vintage 2016 I believe, but these will be above your price point.
The story goes that a while ago their father dug up and replanted a lot of their holdings and over the years, as the quality of fruit increased, they used less and less oak. In latest releases the oak for me is not distinguishable at all but I’m not a fan of this trendy winemaking so maybe my mind focuses on other things.
Lebrun de Neuville Côte Blanche
Jacques Lassaigne Les Vignes de Montgueux (young)
Diebolt-Vallois BdB (already mentioned)
Pierre Gerbais Grains de Celle (even though it has more PN)
Dhondt-Grellet Terres Fines