PRESSOIR.WINE TEAM PICKS FROM LA FÊTE DU CHAMPAGNE PACKS 2021
Raj Vaidya - Champagne Tarlant La Vigne d'Antan Brut Nature 2004
Benoît and Melanie Tarlant’s savory and intense single parcel Chardonnay is made from nearly 70 year old ungrafted vines in the sandy soils of Oeuilly. Showing great depth and complexity at nearly 15 years age, this is not your everyday light and fruit forward Blanc de Blancs, but rather a long and nuanced expression of this warm microclimate within the Vallée de la Marne. Add the bottle to your shopping bag
Jaime Dutton - Champagne Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellier NV
At the very first La Fete du Champagne, in 2014, Vilmart was one of the producers that blew my mind. Opening me up to the elegance, depth and character that great bottles of Champagne can offer.
Ever since then I have been a huge fan of Vilmart and Laurent Champs’ wines. I had the pleasure of visiting Laurent at Vilmart in Rilly-la-Montagne, located in the Montagne de Reims region of Champagne. He is the fifth generation of the family to run the estate. This wine is perfect for any occasion and its price allows you to have a bottle on hand at any time to enjoy! Order it now.
Justine Puaud - Champagne Chartogne-Taillet Les Couarres
Alexandre does not follow any certifications. His mentor Anselme Selosse and the two foremost experts on soil microbiology, Claude and Lydia Bourguignon, gave him the taste for making single vineyard Champagnes. Les Couarres is in my opinion a unique wine of his estate. This 100% Pinot Noir Champagne comes from vines planted in 1982, all on tuffeau soils. It is marked by a stickiness on the palate followed by freshness and medium acidity on the finish. This is a delicious Champagne made by the sweetest winemaker. A must try!
Edouard Bourgeois - Bérêche et Fils Les Beaux Regards 2014
Champagnes that bear the name Bereche never disappoint me.
You can tell how skillful and talented the vignerons are from the quality of their entry level wine. Bereche provides a great example with their glorious “Brut Reserve” and the other wines produced at this small operation are going crescendo in intensity without breaking the bank! The domaine is fueled by the passion of two brothers who make a perfect pair, with one in the vineyard and the other at the winery.
Zachys is offering their cuvée “Les Beaux Regards”, a splendid Blanc de Blancs whose information is below.
I hear there are not many bottles left. I’m surprised they aren’t sold out yet
The Les Beaux Regards blanc de blancs is sourced from two extraordinary plots of old-vine Chardonnay in Ludes, where the domaine is based on the Montagne des Reims. These are the lieux-dits Les Beauxregards, planted in 1902 by Raphaël’s great-grandfather, and Les Clos, planted in 1970 by massale sélection. These ancient vines give Les Beaux Regards its deep concentration and intensely chalky minerality.