Last week I attended the annual Terry Theise Grower Champagne tasting (now my favorite tasting all year), and it really hit me. All my readers should be drinking Farmer Fizz. Why? I think most of my readership has found me through searches for lesser-known, small producer wines. My readers would rather drink wines that are hands-on expressions of soil and sun rather than industrial wines.
According to Terry, grower-Champagne now accounts for over 3% of the market, which leaves the other 97% to the big guys. How big, you ask? According to the Wall Street Journal, LVMH's six Champagne brands produce 50 Million bottles of bubbly each year. My favorites out of Terry's portfolio make between 1,200 and 13,000 cases each year in comparison. It's the difference between Kendell-Jackson and Harrington. While I can still enjoy that glass of Cliquot, it's an industrial product.
I was lucky enough to visit Champagne in May 2009, and one look at the Moet headquarters ( View this photo) in Epernay drove the idea home that this is old luxury, old money, and huge volume. Compare this to the beautiful but modest headquarters of Vilemart & cie in Rilly-la-montagne, View this photo
one of the leaders in the grower-Champagne movement.
Winemaker Laurent Champs at Vilmart makes only 8,700 cases of wine each year and I'm impressed with his wines every year. Look for his Grand Cellier Brut, Grand Cellier D'Or Brut, and Coeur de Cuvée wines and you can't go wrong. His wines are always a standout at the Theise tasting each year.
I'm going to present my favorites in a bit of a different way this year, with call-outs on types and vintages, rather than just the producers.
N.V. Brut
Hébrart Cuveée de Réserve
Jean Lallement- N.V. Brut
Vilmart Grand Cellier
René Geoffroy N.V. Expression Brut
Pehu-Simonet N.V. Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru Brut
Vintage Blanc de Blanc Brut
Pierre Gimonnet 2004 Fleuron Blanc de Blancs Brut
Pierre Peters 2003 Millésimé Blanc de Blancs Brut
Pierre Peters 2000 Cuvée Speciale - Les Chetillons, Grand Cru, Le Mesnil
A. Margaine 1999 Blanc de Blancs Brut
Best of Vintage:
1997 Vilmart Coeur de Cuvée Brut
1999 A. Margaine Blanc de Blancs Brut
2000 Vilmart Coeur de Cuvée Brut
2002 Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Fiacre Brut (2002 Vilmart was not at this tasting, but is stunning)
2003 Vilmart Grand Cellier d'Or - drinking a bit young, but excellent
2004 Pierre Gimonnet Fleuron Blanc de Blancs Brut
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