Maison Brimoncourt was Purchased in 2008 by Alexandre Cornot. Passionate about history and fascinated by the tireless quest of men for excellence, admirer of nature, lover of the land of Champagne and its wine, he breathes this particular touch of personality and his almost obsessive requirement into each of the creations of the House.

Brimoncourt is based in Aÿ, in the historic heart of the vineyard, in buildings and gardens that will soon be two hundred years old.

Composed of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay, the Extra-Brut cuvée is born from a rigorous selection of the best grapes from exceptional years, from 6 Grand Cru classified villages. After 4 years spent in the cellar, this wine dosed at 2g with the pure expression of the expertise of Maison Brimoncourt.

In the glass, it has a very light yellow color enlivened by fine bubbles, which form a persistent bead of great purity. A fine and intense nose, with notes of citrus fruits and white fruits. On the palate, the attack is clear, frank and deep. The citrus aromas are perfectly balanced with the minerality of the wine and continue in a beautiful lingering finish.

Its remarkable freshness makes it an ideal wine for an aperitif. It is also the perfect partner for seafood and iodized flavors. It will go perfectly with Japanese and Korean cuisine and will bring out the spicy tones.

Lamiable Champagne is a family business situated in Tours-sur-Marne, a great village situated in the heart of Champagne. Ophélie and Jean Pierre are at the helm of today’s family estate.

The family settled in Tours-sur-Marne during the 18th century. The current house was built in 1859 by Louis Hippolyte Lamiable. The Lamiable family were just farmers before getting into the wine industry. At the death of their father Hippolyte during the first world war, the four young Lamiable brothers worked very hard to provide for the family during those tough times. After the second world war, Pierre wanted to diversify, so he planted the first vines.

The Grand Cru blends of Maison Lamiable are declined according to the dosages and blends around the 4 elements: Earth, Air, Water, Fire and the 5th element: Quintessence.

Graine d’étoiles, la Quintessence, the 5th element, the original element. With a cepage of 60% Pinot Noir 40 % Chardonnay, Graine d’étoiles is a pure champagne without sugar added (zero dosage), so it is named to be a Brut Nature. With fruit coming from Bouzy, it is a champagne from cellar to glass, without artifice.

Graine d’étoiles features 40% reserve wines from their perpetual reserve. Aged in bottles on the lees, in their vaulted cellars for about 4 years. This is a very small production of about 3000 bottles.

The Extra Brut is a must with grilled fish (try a whole grilled Branzino), but with the zero dosage and laser acidity, this wine is most ideal with oysters.

Founded in 1937, the house Champagne Le Mesnil gets its name from the vineyards and co-op of farmers from where they obtain their fruit. The vineyards of Le Mesnil sur Oger have a truly excellent terroir as 100% of its vineyards are ranked as "Grand Cru". The vineyards are situated at the heart of the prestigious "Côte des Blancs", so called because of the omnipresence of superb Chardonnay. The white wine made from this grape, with its white skin and flesh is the reason why the appellation is known as the "Blanc de Blancs". The quality of our vineyards comes from the fact that they are east-facing. With vineyard topsoil over a base layer of chalk the vineyards have excellent hydric qualities thus allowing the chardonnay grape to reach their full potential.

This particular cuvee is made by blending various parcels of Chardonnay grown in Le Mesnil sur Oger. The wines used are specially selected for their finesse and ethereal qualities which give the wines their complex and mouth-watering flavors. This seductive Champagne is a reflection of the house style of Le Mesnil and is perfect throughout a meal, from aperitif to dessert and indeed at any time of the day or night.

100% Chardonnay Grand Cru
Harvest 2018 with 90%, 5% harvest 2017 and 5% harvest 2016
Minimum 3 years of aging in cellar
Disgorging: 2021
Sugar dosage: 9 g/L

Le Mesnil's Non Vintage Blanc de Blanc pours beautifully boasting an excellent white frothy mousse, showing good hold, followed by a straw, pale gold base wine. The very fine bead has excellent persistence. Aromatically, this wine delivers a classic Champagne sniff. Yeasty, baked bread notes are followed by some brioche and a hint of citrus. The palate is surprisingly full and rich for a Blanc de Blancs with mouth filling flavors of yeast lees, baked bread, cashew and biscuit. Clean finish. Creamy texture and excellent length. Long aftertaste of yeast lees, baked bread and brioche.

This is a wonderfully rich Champagne, a superb match with smoked salmon.

The Chapuy family has deep roots in the Grand Cru village of Oger, and while Chardonnay is more the focus in these parts, this Brut Rosé shows off a deft hand with Pinot Noir as well.

The Chapuys themselves refer to their wine as “premium-quality Champagne at an ‘owner’ price,” which, in a region so readily associated with luxury branding, is an appealing motto to say the least. Most important of all, the wine delivers: It’s full of vibrant red fruits and backed with chalky minerality that drives a wildly refreshing finish. If you’ve got any upcoming celebrations you’d like to elevate without going broke, or if you believe, like we do, that a weeknight dinner is just as plausible a scenario for a delicious wine like this, Chapuy has you covered.

This is full of ripe raspberry flavor that is cut with lively acidity. It is a delicious, fruity, apéritif-style rosé with just a touch of zesty texture to tighten it up.

Chardonnay 65%, Pinot Noir 35%

Dumplings…maybe try some prawn & chive, pork, or both!

Though Württemberg is not yet well known in the states, the Dautel family is a leading producer with grape growing history going back 500 years. Like many estates, the previous story was one of mixed agriculture. The region is protestant and reformation dictated that property be divided between all children; individual parcels of vineyard land got smaller and smaller with each passing generation. Co-ops were founded and came to dominate the area, the idea being that the smaller plots of land could be reunited through production rather than ownership.

The region itself is marked by ancient, very steep terraced vineyards, among the most beautiful and forbidding you’ll see in Germany, including the Mosel-terrasen. These steep vineyards hug the Neckar and Ahr rivers while the rest of the region, similar to Austria’s Weinvertel region, consists of a rolling landscape with isolated steeper hillsides. Soils range from calcareous marl, Gipskeuper (deeper clay with a high gypsum content, which is common in Franken), a rare soil called Schilfsandstein (reed sandstone) which is a hard yellow-ish sandstone often used in building construction, and our old pal Muschelkalk which, as you know, means “fossil-bearing limestone.”

Ernst Dautel, Christian’s father, was the first generation in his family to attend winemaking school in Geisenheim in the 1970s. When he returned home he decided to stop working with the coop, though his father was one of the founding members of the coop in Meimsheim. Ernst didn’t want to “throw his fruit in with all the rest and get some bad quality wine out of it.” Ernst is an iconoclast and one of the first producers in the Württemberg to estate bottle wines. His wife Hannalore was from Bönnigheim, where the winery is located now, and; they were married in the late 1970s. Their eldest son, Christian, was exposed to wine at a very young age, recounting picnics in the vineyards and family vacations that always included visits to great estates.

Christian is a thoughtful winemaker repeating the refrain we always hear from quality minded growers – “the wines are made in the vineyards”. Like other top winemakers from his generation taking over successful wineries from their parents, he has a huge amount of respect for what his father accomplished and sees no need to tear down the work that has been done by making abrupt changes.

Today, Christian farms four Grand Cru (Grosse Lage) sites, Michaelsberg Grosse Lage (colored marl), Steingrüben Grosse Lage (Schilfsandstein), Schupen Grosse Lage (Gipskeuper, weathered limestone) and Forstberg Grosse Lage (colored marl and stony clay with limestone inclusions), and two 1er Cru (Erste Lage) sites Sonnenberg Erste Lage (Schilfsandstein, Gipskeuper) and Wurmberg Erste Lage (Muschelkalk).

Christian’s goal is to continue to bring out the specific character of each terroir without losing the inherent flavor of the grape variety planted to each vineyard. Wines are not made by formula, but by taking in to account the feeling for each site and variety. These are singular wines, unlike anything we’ve come across in Germany.

Entirely remarkable; a gorgeous Pinot Noir aroma – ripe, red fruits, raspberry, strawberry. Fruit and polish, and the palate is rich, earthy, virtually “chalky,” vinous and long, though it’s wonderfully compact and directed to a keen point of chalk-like spiciness.

Brie

When he inherited the Champagne House in 1833, the aesthete and entrepreneur Louis Roederer took a visionary approach to enriching his vines, aiming to master every stage of the wine’s creation. He forged the wine’s unique style, character, and taste. In the mid-nineteenth century, Louis Roederer acquired some of Champagne’s grand cru vineyards—an approach that contrasted sharply with contemporary practices..

While other Houses bought their grapes, Louis Roederer nurtured his vineyards, familiarized himself with the specific characteristics of each parcel, and methodically acquired the finest land. Louis Roederer’s guiding principle was that all great wine depends on the quality of the soil, a passion for tradition, and an astute vision of the future; the fame and reputation of the House of Louis Roederer was firmly established. His heir, Louis Roederer II was equally enlightened and adopted his father’s conscientious approach to the production of champagne, patrimonial estate management, and instinctive audacity.

Yellow in color with glints of light amber. Discreet and extremely fine bubbles. Intense bouquet combining sweet flowers (honeysuckle, broom), yellow fruits (peach) and lightly roasted dried nuts (hazelnut). Evolves towards spicy and citrus notes with a hint of Sancho pepper as well as soft, sweet, ripe notes of chestnut cream. Ample and light on entry to the palate. Ample, thanks to its sweet, creamy, almost spherical texture that seductively wraps around the mouth, coating the palate; light, due to its elegant, saline freshness that stretches the wine giving it a smooth, delicate and airy mouthfeel. You will not fail to be charmed by its juicy aromas of sun-drenched fruit that gently caress the palate. An elegant bitterness combined with zesty, spicy and delicate oaky notes linger on the finish.

Dozen oysters….or two

Pam Starr has been the co-owner, manager and winemaker of Crocker & Starr since its inception in 1997 when she helped resurrect the vineyards on the Crocker Estate in St. Helena and established a winery to create world-class wines. After toiling as a winery employee for 18 years, Pam’s transformation at a relatively young age into owner, manager and winemaker was unique and remarkable. It required a special mix of skill, passion and dedication. All of which describe Pam Starr. Charlie Crocker, co-owner of Crocker & Starr and owner of the Crocker Estate, descends from one of California’s old families. His great grandfather, also Charlie Crocker, spearheaded construction of the Central Pacific railroad, completed in 1869, which began the extraordinary growth that transformed California into an economic powerhouse.

A San Francisco businessman, Charlie has had a life-long love affair with the Napa Valley as well as an enduring interest in wine. In 1971, Charlie and his wife Lucinda acquired the historic Dowdell property in St. Helena that included both vineyards and old stone buildings from the 1870s, and decided to bring it back to life. Charlie began by replanting and selling grapes, making wine for family and developing vineyards he sold to other wineries.

Desiring to complete the resurrection of the old wine estate, in 1997 Charlie established Crocker & Starr with Pam Starr whose Bordeaux-style wine he greatly admired. During his many years in business, Charlie founded, managed and grew two public technology companies. The first, BEI Technologies, specialized in high tech electronic sensors, including those developed to provide electronic stability control in automobiles. Today electronic stability control is required in every car sold in the United States. The second, BEI Medical Systems, developed sensor based proprietary medical devices for women’s health care. A few years ago, Charlie sold both companies and today he serves as director of a number of public and private companies and charitable organizations in the Bay Area.

Pinot Noir 96% & Chardonnay 4%.

Fresh aromas of warm apple tart, cherry blossom, graham cracker, and lychee open in the glass while layered flavors of white peach, honey, and lemon curd dance on the palate. This wine has vibrant acidity and small effervescent bubbles that are balanced with a creamy texture and luxurious finish.

Smoked salmon and caviar 

A new emerging grower in Hermonville – north of Reims in Massif Saint Thierry.

This area is the most northerly part of the Champagne region and has had an interesting history. Champagne is a huge region stretching 200km from north to south, and Hermonville is way north. Ravaged by phylloxera and the world wars, many vineyards were replanted in the mid sixties. 

Frederic and his brother, Rodolphe, are the fourth generation to lead their estate. The domaine was founded in 1919 by their great-grandfather but they never bottled Champagne under their own name. For generations, the Minières preferred to sell all of their fruit to larger houses. Frederic Minière worked with Anselme Selosse for two harvests in the late 90s. It was then that Fred fell in love with barrel aged Champagne and saw the benefits of organic viticulture. At the time, he was in the middle of his oenology studies and was at an impressionable age. This experience was formative for him and it convinced him to bottle Champagnes under his family name. This dream would not be realized until 2007 when his father retired and the two brothers were able to chart a new course for the domaine.

“If I hadn’t met Anselme I would not be making the wines I make today.” - Frederic Miniere

To say that Frederic and Rodolphe are focused on making only the highest quality Champagne would be an understatement. With almost eight hectares of land in Hermonville, they are purposefully limiting their production to the best and oldest vines isolated from only two hectares. They are also choosing to barrel age their wines entirely in oak barrels and releasing vintage specific cuvees only after years of sur lie aging. On average, their Champagnes are spending six or more years in barrel. (They didn't release their first vintage till 2014!) 

This blend, which is based on the 2010 harvest, is composed of 30% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay with 15% Reserve Wine from 2008.

The Minière brothers had been waiting a couple of vintages to make a Champagne with zero dosage and 2008 gave them the perfect conditions to unveil it. Since then, they have continued it when the vintage allows. The blend is around 30% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier, and 25% Chardonnay with only 10-15% reserve wine. Both the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier come from some of the oldest plots of the domaine with the Pinot Noir being planted in 1975 and the Pinot Meunier in 1968. 30% of the blend is vinified in new barrels with the remainder put in barrels that are over four years old. The wine is aged for 7 years in bottle on its lees.

Fish tacos with a lime and cilantro slaw

Richard Petit’s family roots in Avize go back centuries, caring for Chardonnay on the chalk soils of the Côte de Blancs. Véronique Bajan’s clan hails from Pinot Noir terroir in Verzenay, grand cru land on the Montagne de Reims.

Love, then marriage, came first in 1997. In 1999, Richard took over his family’s winery in Avize, and the idea that they might create wine together began to take root. Yet their vision wasn’t just to “make” Champagne, but to push farther, seeking to truly understand what their grand cru soils could give.

With Richard’s attention to detail in the fields and Véronique’s tasting prowess in the cellar, the small-batch, grand cru wines of Petit & Bajan are very much the voice of Champagne’s new generation.

Like their neighbor and mentor in Avize, Anselme Selosse, Richard and Véronique start by harvesting perfectly ripe grapes. At every step in the winemaking process, no detail is too small to be further perfected.

This attention to detail, to the soil and soul of true Champagne, is more than evident in the glass. Theirs are bold, aromatic and vinous wines that set a higher bar for grand cru Champagne.

Domaine Petit & Bajan crafts “grower” Champagne, a récoltant-manipulant house that grows its own grapes and makes its own wine all on site. This qualitative difference is crucial for those seeking the ultimate in Champagne flavor and character.

The estate’s vineyards are split between the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims, with just over two acres of Chardonnay vines in Avize, Cramant and Oger, and five acres of Pinot Noir in Verzenay. All vineyards are rated grand cru and are cared for sustainably.

Crucially, the estate aims to harvest only perfectly ripe fruit, resulting in many local growers finishing the harvest before they even start. (A telling anecdote from the couple: most years, the very last two winemakers to finish the harvest in Avize are Richard Petit and Anselme Selosse.) Grapes are harvested by hand, and sorted in the fields and cellar.

Grapes are pressed in a traditional, upright wooden press in small batches, immediately after harvesting. Juice is settled naturally, and fermented on selected yeasts. Malolactic conversion is allowed. Wines are aged in bottle for a minimum of three years. Dosage as a rule is low, no more than 3 grams/L for all Champagnes.

“100% Pinot Noir, selected from grand cru-rated terroir in the village of Verzenay. So much complexity, so much soul. Wildflowers, small red berries, roses, stone fruit. A bold and very beautiful blanc de noirs. It is named after the French word for obsidian, a midnight-black, volcanic glass.” - Winery Notes

Estate vines of Pinot Noir are found on a mix of chalk and clay in the village of Verzenay, aged 20-30 years old.
Winemaking: Hand-harvested. Grapes pressed directly in a hand-cranked, upright wooden press; fermented on selected yeasts in temperature controlled, stainless steel tanks. Malolactic conversion allowed. Base vintage 2013.

Aged for a minimum of three years. Dosage 3 g/L.

Perfect as an aperitif, but don’t be shy to take this one through the course of the meal. Pair with grilled white meat and also game birds!

A new emerging grower in Hermonville – north of Reims in Massif Saint Thierry.

This area is the most northerly part of the Champagne region and has had an interesting history. Champagne is a huge region stretching 200km from north to south, and Hermonville is way north. Ravaged by phylloxera and the world wars, many vineyards were replanted in the mid sixties. 

Frederic and his brother, Rodolphe, are the fourth generation to lead their estate. The domaine was founded in 1919 by their great-grandfather but they never bottled Champagne under their own name. For generations, the Minières preferred to sell all of their fruit to larger houses. Frederic Minière worked with Anselme Selosse for two harvests in the late 90s. It was then that Fred fell in love with barrel aged Champagne and saw the benefits of organic viticulture. At the time, he was in the middle of his oenology studies and was at an impressionable age. This experience was formative for him and it convinced him to bottle Champagnes under his family name. This dream would not be realized until 2007 when his father retired and the two brothers were able to chart a new course for the domaine.

“If I hadn’t met Anselme I would not be making the wines I make today.” - Frederic Miniere

To say that Frederic and Rodolphe are focused on making only the highest quality Champagne would be an understatement. With almost eight hectares of land in Hermonville, they are purposefully limiting their production to the best and oldest vines isolated from only two hectares. They are also choosing to barrel age their wines entirely in oak barrels and releasing vintage specific cuvees only after years of sur lie aging. On average, their Champagnes are spending six or more years in barrel. (They didn't release their first vintage till 2014!) 

This blend, which is based on the 2010 harvest, is composed of 30% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay with 15% Reserve Wine from 2008.

The Minière brothers had been waiting a couple of vintages to make a Champagne with zero dosage and 2008 gave them the perfect conditions to unveil it. Since then, they have continued it when the vintage allows. The blend is around 30% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier, and 25% Chardonnay with only 10-15% reserve wine. Both the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier come from some of the oldest plots of the domaine with the Pinot Noir being planted in 1975 and the Pinot Meunier in 1968. 30% of the blend is vinified in new barrels with the remainder put in barrels that are over four years old. The wine is aged for 7 years in bottle on its lees.

Fish tacos with a lime and cilantro slaw

Richard Petit’s family roots in Avize go back centuries, caring for Chardonnay on the chalk soils of the Côte de Blancs. Véronique Bajan’s clan hails from Pinot Noir terroir in Verzenay, grand cru land on the Montagne de Reims.

Love, then marriage, came first in 1997. In 1999, Richard took over his family’s winery in Avize, and the idea that they might create wine together began to take root. Yet their vision wasn’t just to “make” Champagne, but to push farther, seeking to truly understand what their grand cru soils could give.

With Richard’s attention to detail in the fields and Véronique’s tasting prowess in the cellar, the small-batch, grand cru wines of Petit & Bajan are very much the voice of Champagne’s new generation.

Like their neighbor and mentor in Avize, Anselme Selosse, Richard and Véronique start by harvesting perfectly ripe grapes. At every step in the winemaking process, no detail is too small to be further perfected.

This attention to detail, to the soil and soul of true Champagne, is more than evident in the glass. Theirs are bold, aromatic and vinous wines that set a higher bar for grand cru Champagne.

Domaine Petit & Bajan crafts “grower” Champagne, a récoltant-manipulant house that grows its own grapes and makes its own wine all on site. This qualitative difference is crucial for those seeking the ultimate in Champagne flavor and character.

The estate’s vineyards are split between the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims, with just over two acres of Chardonnay vines in Avize, Cramant and Oger, and five acres of Pinot Noir in Verzenay. All vineyards are rated grand cru and are cared for sustainably.

Crucially, the estate aims to harvest only perfectly ripe fruit, resulting in many local growers finishing the harvest before they even start. (A telling anecdote from the couple: most years, the very last two winemakers to finish the harvest in Avize are Richard Petit and Anselme Selosse.) Grapes are harvested by hand, and sorted in the fields and cellar.

Grapes are pressed in a traditional, upright wooden press in small batches, immediately after harvesting. Juice is settled naturally, and fermented on selected yeasts. Malolactic conversion is allowed. Wines are aged in bottle for a minimum of three years. Dosage as a rule is low, no more than 3 grams/L for all Champagnes.

“100% Pinot Noir, selected from grand cru-rated terroir in the village of Verzenay. So much complexity, so much soul. Wildflowers, small red berries, roses, stone fruit. A bold and very beautiful blanc de noirs. It is named after the French word for obsidian, a midnight-black, volcanic glass.” - Winery Notes

Estate vines of Pinot Noir are found on a mix of chalk and clay in the village of Verzenay, aged 20-30 years old.
Winemaking: Hand-harvested. Grapes pressed directly in a hand-cranked, upright wooden press; fermented on selected yeasts in temperature controlled, stainless steel tanks. Malolactic conversion allowed. Base vintage 2013.

Aged for a minimum of three years. Dosage 3 g/L.

Perfect as an aperitif, but don’t be shy to take this one through the course of the meal. Pair with grilled white meat and also game birds!

In 1977, following a request from a loyal customer, Philippe Gonet created the Pierre Cellier brand, naming it after his eldest son and his wife’s family name. The request was for a younger, more vivid wine than the current Gonet releases. It wasn’t until Pierre and his sister, Chantal, took over the business that this special brand was made available to other customers, starting gradually in 2001. The main difference between the two family estate labels is the aging on lees in bottle. The Gonet wines see a minimum of three years on the lees before disgorgement, whereas the Pierre Cellier wines will spend a minimum of two years on the lees. The shorter amount of time on the lees generally allows for a fruitier, more ‘crowd pleasing’ style, yet it is still longer than the standard requirement in Champagne of 15 months. The Prestige wines were started by the late Philippe Gonet, crafted specifically for a friend and restaurateur back in the 70s in Paris. Named after his son, Pierre (now the winemaker), and his wife's maiden name, Cellier, the wines showcase an approachable fruity style only recently made available in the U.S. market. Made with the same precision and care from certified sustainable vineyards, HVE.

30% Chardonnay, 60% Pinot Noir,
10% Pinot Meunier
The Prestige wines from Philippe Gonet express the amiable, fun-loving side of Champagne without sacrificing the elegant family style. With beautiful aromatics of orchard fruits and brioche, the bubbles are relaxed yet precise, the texture is lush, and the finish is satisfying. The dosage is a little higher than the Gonet house style for touch more body, 8 g/l.

Smoked Salmon

A 1990 vacation in Argentina was all it took. For third-generation winemaker Jean Bousquet, it was love at first sight. The object of the Frenchman’s desire: the Gualtallary Valley, a scenic, remote, arid terrain high in the Tupungato district of the Uco Valley in Argentina’s Mendoza region, close to the border with Chile. Here, where the condors fly and not a vine in sight, Bousquet discovered his dream terroir, an ideal location in which to nurture organically-grown wines.

With altitudes ranging up to 5,249 feet, Gualtallary occupies the highest extremes of Mendoza’s viticultural limits. Fast-forward to the present and wine cognoscenti recognize it as the source of some of Mendoza’s finest wines. Back then, it was virgin territory: tracts of semi-desert, nothing planted, no water above ground, no electricity and a single dirt track by way of access. Locals dismissed the area as too cold for growing grapes. Bousquet, on the other hand, reckoned he’d found the perfect blend between his French homeland and the New World (sunny, with high natural acidity and a potential for relatively fruit-forward wines).

Bousquet’s daughter, economist Anne Bousquet, and her husband Labid Al Ameri, a successful trader with Fidelity in Boston, found themselves increasingly drawn to the cause, including the opportunity it offered to put their shared philosophy on sustainability into effect. After a 2002 trip to Argentina, the couple began to invest in Domaine Bousquet. In 2005, Al Ameri joined his father-in-law full time, helping with the construction of the winery. Anne continued her work as an economist, before joining the company in 2008. In 2009, the couple moved to Tupungato full-time, assuming full ownership of Domaine Bousquet in 2011.

The family is all about organic farming and sustainable production….Organically nurtured vine roots penetrate deep into the soil where they absorb the trace minerals that help give our wines their authentic regional taste. For this reason, organically grown grapes can express the purity, intensity and varietal character of the local terroir.

Their organically grown grapes offer a quality of fruit and vibrancy of taste that is unparalleled in the world of ordinary wines. Organically tended vines tend to produce lower yields with greater concentration of flavor (unlike chemically fed grapes), which allow their unique flavors to shine through.

Organic crops are grown in harmony with nature without using chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Organic agriculture uses natural fertilizers such as compost.

From estate vineyards in Tupungato, Alto Gualtallary, by the foothills of the Andes at 4000 ft. altitude. The vineyards enjoy a marked thermal amplitude allowing the Pinot and Chardonnay to ripen nicely for sparkling production. The winery does the Charmat Method on this sparkling wine by fermentation on tanks.

Salmon color with delicate bubbles. Red fruit aromas with citrus notes. Fresh with medium acidity and fruity finish. This is the patio pounding sparkling rose you’ve been waiting for!

75% Pinot Noir 25% Chardonnay

Vegetable skewers on the grill with a soft cheese side like brie

The Champagne house of Déhu Père et Fils was founded in 1787, two years before the French Revolution. The passionate and pensive Benoit Déhu represents the eighth generation of vignerons at this historic, but under the radar estate located on the far western edge of the Vallée de la Marne. After a fruitful stint at Bollinger, Benoit returned to the family domaine with a strong vision for the future.

Because the family Champagne house is well established, Benoit has the unique opportunity to both manage the estate and explore his passion for naturally farmed, handmade, artisanal Champagnes under his own label, Champagne Benoît Déhu. In 2011, he peeled off 1.70 hectares of choice vines that he farms biodynamically, 0.40ha of which are worked with a horse. From these vines he crafts a single-vineyard, single-vintage, single-variety Champagne called “La Rue des Noyers”, named for the parcel that was once bordered by hazelnut trees (Noyers). The wine is fermented and aged in oak barrels, many of which are made from trees in the nearby forest of Fossoy. From this same parcel, Benoit also produces a Coteaux Champenois white and red. All three wines are made from 100% Meunier. This extremely focused micro-project allows Benoit to gain a better understanding of the Meunier grape via three distinct expressions of Meunier from the same terroir.

In the 2015 vintage, Benoit introduced two new Champagnes to his arsenal: "Initiation" and "L'Orme". Initiation is a blend of Meunier from La Rue des Noyers, and Pinot Noir from a small parcel dominated by clay and sand at the bottom of the hill, which Benoit planted using massale selection Pommard clone from Burgundy. The second addition, L'Orme, is made of 100% Pinot Noir from a tiny parcel previously planted with elm trees (Orme), and captures the attributes of complexity, personality and class that make Déhu Champagnes so alluring.

The style of Benoit’s low- and zero-dosage wines is intense, urgent and energetic, with beautiful tension and fine minerality. Though production is miniscule – less than 4,000 bottles – fellow vignerons and wine professionals are taking note of Benoit's work, earning him an enthusiastic underground following. He has quickly established himself as a vigneron to watch in one of France’s most dynamic and progressive wine growing regions.

Cuvée Initiation is the newest addition to the Déhu lineup. Made from Pinot Noir and his signature variety Pinot Meunier, which Benoît planted using massale selection of Pommard clone from Burgundy. Oak vinification and ageing, unfined and unfiltered, low dosage. The wine is zippy and round with a persistent finish.

Saint Angel Brie and fresh strawberries

Hattingley Valley was founded in 2008 by Simon and Nicola Robinson in Hampshire, England with its chalky soils and climate ideally suited for sparkling wines. They planted their first 7.3 hectares on a south-facing site with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier using laser-guided planting technology. Today, the team manages over 24 hectares (60 acres) of vines across two well-situated sites. Led by winemaker Emma Rice, Hattingley sparkling wines are all made in the traditional method with the highest quality standards – leading the charge for the English Sparkling wine movement.

The Classic Reserve is pale gold with a well-developed nose showing a hint of autolysis with subtle oak character. It is well-balanced on the palate showing crisp acidity and fine mousse. It has delicate toasty characteristics from the ageing on lees whilst the gentle oak flavour adds complexity.

Blend: 48% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, 17% Pinot Meunier & 2% Pinot Gris

Fried Chicken….and more fried chicken

The Bugey, halfway between Lyons and Geneva is one of the tiniest and most obscure wine areas in France. Although the altitude is modest, the terrain is very mountainous, the roads are steep and winding as in the Alps and the villages are built for cold winters – the houses made of gray/white limestones all bunched together on narrow streets.

The vineyards are hard to detect, little patches here and there on steep slopes looking southeast or southwest, lost in the midst of fields with grazing cows and dense forests. The total surface of vineyards in the Bugey covers about 170 hectares and the varietals are borrowed from all the surrounding areas:

• Gamay, Poulsard (a grape from Northern Jura), Roussette,
• Mondeuse (both from Savoie) and Chardonnay.
• Many still wines are produced, but the region's star wine is the Cerdon
• Méthode Ancestrale,a demi-sec, pink bubbly made by spontaneous but incomplete fermentation.

Alain Renardat is a respected vigneron in Cerdon, and was a long-time supplier of Alain Chapel's restaurant in the Dombes.The Dombes, which, like the Bugey is in the Ain department, is an area of ponds and marshes, known for its fish and small birds. Alain Chapel, who died several years ago, was a chef beloved among chefs, and famous for his love of wine and winemakers. A vigneron selected by Chapel was guaranteed to have great personality and wines. And while the restaurant is now closed after a long run under the helm of Chapel's widow and sons, the winemakers he'd bring together annually to treat them to dinner remain great friends.

Alain, though technically retired for years, is active as ever. Along with his son Elie, they make their Cerdon from Gamay and Poulsard and follow the technique of méthode ancestrale (as opposed to Méthode Champenoise plain old carbonation, the preferred method used for supermarket wines). The grapes are picked by hand, pressed and fermented in cold vats until the alcohol reaches about six degrees of alcohol. After a light filtration that leaves most of the active yeast in the unfinished wine, it is bottled and continues its fermentation in the bottle, reaching about 7.5 or 8 degrees of alcohol and retaining a fair quantity of its original sugar. It is more vinous (with grapey primary aromas) than most Champagne, since there is neither dosage nor addition of yeast before the second fermentation. Cerdon is to be consumed throughout the year following the vintage.It is fragile and requires excellent cellaring and transporting conditions. Renardat's is delicate, berry-scented, refreshing, and makes a delicious aperitif or dessert wine (even chocolate goes well with it).

Fragrant notes of sweet flowers and inviting red fruit show on the bouquet. This low alcohol sparkler is fruit forward, yet balanced with a great textured mouthfeel. Yum

Apple pastry of your choice