Vilmart Grande Reserve Champagne
$105.99
Vilmart is a grower producer of the highest order. All grapes are picked by hand picked and left intact intact until they reach the traditional pressing shed. Settling is achieved by gravity to preserve quality; the juices are then delicately transferred to oak barrels and foudres (large oak casks), where primary alcoholic fermentation begins.
At Vilmart the vinification of all cuvées takes place in wood, which gives the wines their particular character, providing body, fruit, roundness and subtlety. Another characteristic of Vilmart champagnes is the absence of malolactic fermentation. This preserves freshness, tautness and subtlety, as well as the pronounced identity of the aromas.The wine is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and spends ten months in barrel prior to bottling. There is a fine balance between the primary fruit aromas, secondary (biscuit, bread, butter) and tertiary (minerals and spices) components.
JM Seleque Solessence Brut
$67.99
Henri Sélèque planted the original vines in the 1960s on the renowned terroirs of Moussy and Pierry and began bottling his wines in 1969. Richard, his son, an oenologist, brought the property into the era of modernity and technical precision while expanding the family wine heritage. Since 2008, Jean-Marc, the third generation and an advocate for more ecologically balanced viticulture, has anchored his production in the search for authenticity and expression of terroirs. Nestled between the Marne Valley and the Côte des Blancs, the Coteaux Sud d’Epernay offers a veritable mosaic of terroirs. On these slopes cut by the Cubry River, the three great grape varieties of Champagne flourish on varied soils–clay, sandy or loaded with flint—in which chalk is the common thread.
Lelarge Pugeot Cest Cure
$89.99
The Lelarge family owned their first parcels in 1799, after Pierre-Henri Lelarge, married Madeleine Dravigny, the daughter of a winegrower family in Vrigny. Throughout many generations, the descendants of Pierre-Henri shared their commitment to the terroir of Champagne and the work of vigneron. In 1983 Dominique Lalarge takes off to Beaune in Burgundy to study viticulture and oenology where he met his future wife, Dominique Pugeot. A few years later, the couple takes over the winery, which then became Champagne Lelarge-Pugeot. By 2017 the 7th and 8th generations are working together. Valentin, the middle child joined the team in 2015. Another great news for this new year, the winery is certified biodynamic (Demeter).
Bailly Lapierre Cremant Bourgogne
$31.99
Cremant is the name given to French sparkling wines that are made in the same method as Champagne but outside of the Champagne area. The term cremant will be followed by the region, so in the case of Cremant de Bourgogne it means "champagne-styled wine from Burgundy". A blend of four classic grapes - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay, and Aligote - it makes for a super easy-drinking, congenial, rounded and fully sparkling wine with an expressive bouquet both on the nose and pallet, a perfect addition to a light breakfast or elegant dinner.
Louis Roederer Collection
$114.99
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. In 1845, Louis Roederer acquired 15 hectares in the Grand Cru vineyards of Verzenay. The idea—which was quite unusual at a time when grapes had little value—was to become a wine grower in order to master the entire process of creating his vintage wines. Ever since, every Louis Roederer vintage originates exclusively from our own vines, which is rare indeed in the Champagne region. The quest for a diversity of terroirs, crus, parcels, and grape varieties in the vineyards (or climats to use the Burgundian expression) was rapidly integrated by the House of Louis Roederer. A groundbreaking strategy was implemented, which involved buying specific parcels selected for their capacity to produce distinctive wines. This strategy is still a core component of the House’s continuing development. In 2013, Louis Roederer’s vineyards stretched across 240 hectares and includes 410 parcels.
Christophe Mignon Foudre Champagne
$131.99
According to Antonio Galloni of Vinous Wine Journal, “Christophe Mignon might very well be the finest grower in Champagne most people have not heard about, yet.” Galloni may have a point. Located just outside the tiny village of Festigny, Mignon farms a mere 6 ha, planted almost exclusively to Pinot Meunier. The vines were planted by his great-grandparents and are spread among thirty parcels between the villages of Le Breuil and Festigny in the Vallee de la Marne.
Mignon has practiced biodynamics for 16 years , allowing the moon’s cycles to dictate his work in the vineyards and in the cellar. Harvests adhere strictly to this calendar, as do tirage and disgorgement. In essence, Mignon strives to follow the rhythm of nature and this informs each decision he makes. While this might seem a tad esoteric to some, the results are well worth the potential befuddlement.
For the most part, Christophe does all the primary fermentation in stainless steel with ambient yeasts, while only the reserve wine is held in oak foudre. He strives to vinify each parcel in a separate tank in order to distinguish the unique qualities of each micro-climate. The non-vintage Champagnes spend a minimum of 24 months in bottle before disgorgement, while the vintage wines may spend as long as five or six years. Christophe uses the bare minimum of sulphur at bottling and the majority of his cuvees are bottled without any dosage. The resulting wines offer a delightful balance between intellectual and visceral enjoyment. They are at once vinous and rich, with complex brioche notes and herbal inflections, but also fresh and simply enjoyable. While Christophe may have a very complex philosophy, he also believes that Champagne should be enjoyed and not fawned over.
A. Margaine Rose Champagne
$89.99
The Champagnes from father-daughter duo Arnaud & Mathilde Margaine are a KWM exclusive, and they are exceptional. With vineyards based in Montagne de Reims, they specialize in Chardonnay (90%) although they also have a small plot of Pinot Noir. This small estate (7 hectares) was started by Arnaud's father (Bernard) in the 1950s and is organically farmed. The vines average 35 years of age and the Chardonnay is produced from a clone unique to the area.
Telmont Reserve Brut Champagne
$111.99
Telmont was established in the late thirties by the Telmont family and was purchased by the Rémy Cointreau group in 2020, This purchase was driven by shared values and a common vision. The future of the house will be built alongside Bertrand Lhôpital who remains Cellar Master and Head of Viticulture at Telmont.
Champagne Piollot Cuvee de Reserve
$89.99
Champagne Piollot, based in the Cote des Bars, is produced by husband and wife Roland Piollot and Dominique Moreau (whose exceptional wines are sold as Marie Courtin, a KWM exclusive), from vines owned by Roland’s family in the Aube. Roland is the 5th generation, with the estate being founded 19th Century. It was then extended by Roland’s father, Robert. Robert’s legacy was planting the ‘Val Colas Robin’ parcel (in 1955), which produced a 100% Pinot Blanc Cuvée ‘Colas Robin’. This was incredibly rare at the time as many of Robert’s neighbours were grubbing up Pinot Blanc vines to be replanted with the more popular Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. However, it wasn’t until 1986 when Roland decided to bottle under his own family name. Farming has been organic since 2009, with a more recent move to work biodynamically. The house style is very much one of precision, and elegance.