Tiny But Mighty Champagnes

Tiny quantities but mighty Champagnes are on offer again today, from 3 very special producers!  

It is an utterly exciting era to be making and drinking Champagne. There is a lot to love about Grower Champagnes EXCEPT the tiny quantities. Once the “world” discovers them, demand quickly outstrips supply and all of a sudden they are commanding over $300.  

Producers like Jerome Prevost, Ulysse Colin, Cedric Bouchard are just a few names that come to mind with their small productions, true artisanship and an intimate relationship with the land which results in extraordinary, singular wines.   

What I’m presenting today has everything in common with these producers I’ve just mentioned, with one exception (and it’s my favorite)…the “world” has not yet caught on. How I found the last producer…good lord…it was so much work, but worth it. 
 
First, let’s talk about the first two producers. I have one wine from each: Christian Gosset and Waris Larmandier. They are two relatively new producers, both working with Grand Cru terroirs and crafting fantastic wines. We had a chance to visit Waris Larmandier earlier this year and saw first hand this gem of an operation in Avize. They are producing world class Chardonnay which Burghound recognized with a solid 93 point score. Christian Gosset was also recognized within the same review for his bottling of pinot noir from Ay. Both Champagnes were included in our Grower Club - they are exceptional and worth your attention. 

There is an even newer producer than Gosset and Waris-Larmandier which I’m thrilled to introduce: Antoine Bouvet. Funny story finding this one… you might think I’m a one-way street of recommendations, but this is not true. We are kind of a community. A good client of mine introduced me to this producer after his trip to Champagne. He cautioned that the wines were difficult to find even in Epernay (geez!) but he still remembered that wine. It got me all worked up to find it!  

So I have been searching and searching, until finally, a new importer I’ve been working with called excited to tell me he had some.  “Great! this is something I’d like to use for our Grower Club” I exclaimed, only to be shot down. Womp-womp - I could only have 18 bottles (3- 6pks)! We’ll definitely  be working on more for the future.    

A quick STORY about Antoine Bouvet since he’s brand new Vins Rare. In 1970 Guy Bouvet, Antoine’s grandfather, launched his domaine with a small holding of vineyards (5 ha) spread across three villages (Mareuil sur Ay, Avenay val d’Or and Bisseuil).  Guy worked largely by himself selling most of the production to Bollinger.  

From an early age, Antoine took a budding interest in the family business. He learned from his grandfather the joy of hard work, caring for the land, and the precision of cellar work necessary to make great Champagne. Antoine’s love for his grandfather can be seen in the homage to him on the label of his Champagnes.

Antoine attended the Viticampus in Avize and started working with his grandfather in 2011. Two short years later, at the age of 17, he took over the operations of the domaine. Like so many of the new generation, organic conversion is something Antoine started immediately. By 2014, 40% of the vineyards were organic and since 2020, 100% are organic and biodynamic practices are taking root throughout.

Bouvet is working with some exceptional old vines but what’s most notable are his decisions that have revealed themselves, with time and patience, in the quality of the grapes. This and his precise winemaking tactics have turned out some extraordinary wines!

Apologies for the TINY quantities. But please stay tuned in the future as we search  for more.

All of these Champagnes are for the true connoisseur. You’ll want to stay abreast of each of these young growers. We drink them at home, love the wines, their stories and highly recommend them for you and your family and friends.