"WINE EXPO in Santa Monica has one of the best selections of Champagne in the country."
New York Times Wine Columnist Eric Asimov in his blog, The Pour 5/16/06
Welcome to the Nation’s Strategic Reserve of Great Champagne
Yes, we have more Champagnes than any other three stores combined, but being “Champagne Head Quarters” for the entire nation is a tough and grueling job (chasing down elusive Grand Cru Grower Fizz and comparing ultra rare Têtes de Cuvée can cut into your time to think of new and imaginative ways to just say “No!” to vendors from Industrial Fizz Factories...). But, it does have its rewards (seeing the beaming smiles of folks we’ve just rescued from the likes of Moet, Mumms and Veuve come running back for more of the real essence of la Champagne is very satisfying). The big down side is trying to keep up with a constantly changing inventory of myriad labels and vintages from hundreds of producers. So, this list is probably 93.78% current....
"The panel was struck by the general very high quality of the wines – the only one of the lot that impressed no one was a ringer, a non-vintage Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut (not listed below because it’s not a grower Champagne). “Not as distinctive” was the way one taster described it. “Fizzy, in a cheap kind of way,” said another. The others had character galore, and were generally so likable that it was difficult to rank them. Prices are very reasonable for the quality. Grower-produced Champagnes are easy to spot but hard to find. Any Champagne whose name you don’t recognize is probably from a grower. Wine Expo in Santa Monica has by far the best selection in the area." Patrick Comiskey in the Los Angeles Times Wednesday, December 28, 2005
L. Aubry Premier Cru Brut Rosé à Jouy-les-Reims $59.00
We agree heartily with the importer’s assertion that “I love pink Champagne and sometimes even wonder how seductions ever proceed without it”. The NV is made with 60% Chardonnay for superb finesse and drinkability then given a firm kick in the ass by Pinot Noir left on the skins for color, heft, verve and flavors ranging from ripe peaches and blackberries through menthol and pine into a rich biscuity finish. Superb!
L. Aubry Premier Cru Brut 1997 Aubry de Humbert à Jouy-les-Reims $73.00
L. Aubry Premier Cru Brut 2000 Aubry de Humbert à Jouy-les-Reims $69.99
Deeeeeply flavored, made from the heart of the cuvée and only disgorged after six years on the lees, this fairly explodes with complex secondary flavors of dried fruit, almonds, ginger, coffee and even truffles. Very limited.
L. Aubry Cuvée Ivoire et Ebone 2000 à Jouy-les-Reims $59.99
Ayala Brut Blanc de Blancs 1998, Ay $49.99
This is NOT from Spain, it is the pride of a great Champagne house founded by a Colombian diplomat’s son who married into vineyards in Aÿ (home of Gosset, Bollinger and Gatinois among others) in 1860. Always treasured by the Brits for the house style with big, round body and “chewy” texture and a perfectly balancing very dry finish.
Paul Bara Brut Rosé Grand Cru Bouzy $37.99 375ml
Paul Bara Brut Réserve Grand Cru Bouzy $48.00
Paul Bara Brut Réserve Grand Cru Bouzy $29.99 375ml
Bara is a deadly serious grower with a cult following which is well deserved after 150 years of experience in one of the very best Grand Cru villages in la Champagne. The wines are heralded by French wine guides as producing wines comparable to the prestige cuvées of the large houses but at a mere FRACTION OF THE COST. The general style emphasizes finesse and elegance over power but the flavors are almost unbelievably focused with baked apple, vanilla and burnt orange notes.
Michel Beauchamp Brut Rosé Carte Rubis, Janvry Sold Out, Returning Soon!
Besserat de Bellefon Cuvée des Moines Brut, Epernay Sold Out, Returning Soon!
Besserat de Bellefon Cuvée des Moines Brut, Epernay $92.00 MAGNUM
Besserat de Bellefon Cuvée des Moines Brut, Epernay Sold Out, Returning Soon!
Besserat de Bellefon Cuvée des Moines
Brut Blanc de Blancs, Epernay Sold Out, Returning Soon!
Besserat de Bellefon Cuvée des Moines Brut Rosé, Epernay $44.00
One of the highest quality small negociant houses, B de B (as they are affectionately known in the zone) makes wines of extraordinary finesse and grace. The Brut has a brilliant straw color in the glass and wafts aromas of wild flowers, ripe apples and pears and a top note of hazelnuts while the palate is rich and full but never heavy. The Blanc de Blancs is very deeply flavored with rich fruit (apricots and honeyed pears) yet so light and fresh it nearly dances on your tongue. The Rosé brings both red fruit (cherry and currant) and toasty nutty flavors to the table and has already become a big fave here.
Paul Berthelot Brut Réserve, Dizy $48.99
Delicious, great value farmer fizz with real character, made by a family with over a century of experience in the vineyards and 30 years as winemakers. Jacques and Michel Berthelot’s vineyards (managed by culture raisonnée which demands as little artificial interference in the vineyards as possible) are rooted in deep chalk and face due south, producing wonderfully elegant and pure fruit. This Brut Réserve is mostly Pinot, contains 30% reserve wines from past vintages and was aged for three years before disgorging.
H. Billiot Brut Réserve Grand Cru à Ambonnay $60.00
H. Billiot Brut Réserve Grand Cru à Ambonnay $120.00 MAGNUM
H. Billiot Brut 1999 Grand Cru à Ambonnay $68.00
H. Billiot Cuvée Laetitia Brut Grand Cru à Ambonnay $106.99
H. Billiot Cuvée Julie Brut Grand Cru à Ambonnay $100.00
H. Billiot Brut Rose Grand Cru à Ambonnay $69.99
Henri Billiot is to Champagne what Emidio Pepe is to Montepulciano or the late M. Reynaud was to Chateauneuf du Pape: The Keeper of the Secrets of the Temple of the Elders. His wines (even the NV Brut!) are 100% Grand Cru (mostly) Pinot Noir from ancient vines that are never filtered or put through malolactic fermentation and thus have an amazing verve and intensity that can either stop you in your tracks right now or age for decades. So you’d best stock up for both scenarios! Unlimited quality, extremely limited availability. Ranked by aficionados in France and Britain as an equal to Krug and Bollinger, these are jaw dropping, life-changing, show-stopping wines with amazing complexity. The Laetitia is named for his lovely daughter and contains the best of eight different vintages reaching back to 1983! Cuvée Julie is a new offering named for a granddaughter that spent 7 months in old oak for extra richness.
Boizel Brut Réserve, Epernay $45.00
Boizel Brut Rosé, Epernay $54.00
A yummy , toasty, Pinot-powered flute full of serious fizz for semi-serious money, Boizel is renown for its great value. Works for us.
“Wow! That’s DRY!!!”
(and why “Extra Dry” really means a little sweet...)
A lot of casual Champagne and sparkling wine drinkers will tell us they only like REALLY DRY wines (without telling us that their reference point is the Extra Dry Cuvees of the large houses which are actually fairly sweet). This may seem counter-intuitive but it has a fun historical explanation: Most Champagne was originally VERY sweet (that is how the French and especially Tzarist Russian clients liked it). The Brits started asking for drier wines. So, the Champenoise gave them Demi-Sec (half dry but, of course, half sweet), Sec (meaning dry compared to the norm but still quite sweet), Extra Dry (drier but still with significant dosage of sugar) and, finally, when the Brits said: Listen, when we say DRY we really mean it!, they created Brut (which means savage or barbarian in French as that is what they thought of the requests). So, Extra Dry really means a little sweet, got it? BUT, Extra Brut, Sans Dosage, Brut Nature, Brut Zero and other such descriptors REALLY mean DRY. Such bottlings will shock the casual sipper but are DIVINE with spicy, salty, oily snacks like Oysters, Smoked Salmon, Prosciutto and, courtesy of a friend of ours in Georgia, our favorite Champy Snack of all time: Popcorn popped in Duck Fat and then sprinkled with fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and a little fresh black pepper. Mmmmm Mmmmm Good (thanks Bob!).... Now, Ladies and Gents, it’s back to our program!
Raymond Boulard Brut 1999 Mailly $58.00
Full throttled, full flavored, full frontal Chardonnay based fizz, this is WINE dammit, not fruit juice!
Roland Champion Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru à Chouilly $69.99
This meticulous third generation grower uses only the free run juice from his Grand Cru Chardonnay for this wine (the press wine goes to big names you may know but we don't sell) and then ages it for two years on the lees before disgorgement. The result is one of the most aromatic Blanc de Blancs we have ever encountered with notes of honey, ripe stone fruit and even exotic spices like saffron on the nose and a VERY lively mouthfeel. In short: superyummydoubleplusgoodstuff! VERY limited, worth it!
Guy Charlemagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Oger Sold Out, Returning Soon!
“This is so dry and crisp and citrussy it will take the enamel off your expensive little yuppy capped teeth! Go along now and buy a nice fruity bottle of Prosecco and leave this to the professionals, ok?”. Sorry, we saw “A Few Good Men” again last night on cable while drinking some of this and were channeling Jack Nicholson for a moment there. But seriously, this is THE thing for Sushi, Smoked Salmon or Spicy Stirfries if you open it today OR you could age it for a decade and tame it into a rich and nutty thing of beauty. Better take two...
Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte-Anne Brut à Merfy $51.00
Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte-Anne Brut à Merfy $31.99 375ml
Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte-Anne Brut à Merfy $105.00 MAGNUM
Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Blanc de Blancs à Merfy $45.00
Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Fiacre 2002 Brut à Merfy $83.00
Chartogne-Taillet Brut Rosé à Merfy $56.99
WINE Magazine (a very serious British journal) ranked these wines among its “Best You Can Buy”, raving about “luscious, creamy, supple and sensual” flavors and textures and ranking the Cuvée Sainte-Anne NV first in a comprehensive tasting that included such famous but industrial labels as Dom Perignon. Huge, creamy, toasty wines, these are bold declarations of style made by a very confident husband and wife team who are obsessed with making WINE that also bubbles. The Fiacre (60% Chardonnay / 40% Pinot Noir, all from very old vines) is described by the importer as “the swankest Champagne I offer” and our buddy Tom Stevenson (the final authority amongst fizz scribes in the English language) extols its extraordinary “polish”. Flavors range from gunflint, white flowers and heather through super ripe white fruits all balanced on an incredibly refreshing spike of minerals and acidity.
Roger Coulon Brut Tradition Premier Cru à Vrigny $46.99
Roger Coulon Brut Grande Réserve Premier à Cru Vrigny Sold Out, Returning Soon!
How small is this producer? They’ve made more White Star since you started reading this than these guys will make in the next decade. Terroir maniac and MondoVino star Neal Rosenthal found this for us and, as is usually the case with his selections, it rocks AND is quite affordable for what it is.
Comte Audoin de Dampiere Cuvée des Ambassadeurs Sold Out, Returning Soon!
Comte Audoin de Dampiere Grand Année 199?
Premier Cru Brut, Avize Sold Out, Returning Soon!
Another solid value oriented producer, the wines of Count Mack Daddy (you have to meet him!) have become big movers hear in the Fizz Zone. The Cuvée des Ambassadeurs (the house bubbly at all the French embassies) has a wonderfully refreshing apple note on the palate making it a great aperitif.
To Quote Chrissy Hynde: This is SPECIAL:
Guy de Chassey Brut Grand Cru 1999, Louvois $86.00
This blew our minds while dining with the importers at Josie on Pico one night: it smells EXACTLY like Rosé petals, tastes like green apples and white pears, is creamier than Sicilian gelato yet has a crisp, bone dry finish. Get some before Ali takes it all home....You work hard, you deserve the GOOD stuff. This can either clear some sushi off your palate tonight or age for twenty years, your call. Also don’t miss their base (but hardly basic!) bottling:
Guy de Chassey Brut Grand Cru Louvois $49.99
José Dhondt Brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs à Oger $64.00
José Dhondt Vielle Vigne Brut 2004 Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs à Oger $83.00
José Dhondt Rose de Saignee Brut, Oger $82.00
Selected by cult Burgundy specialist Becky Wasserman, these show that racy Oger style so beloved by fans of Salon, Pierre Peters, A. Robert and Jean Milan. We had them at dinner with exporters Françoise & Paul Couvreur recently and they really made us sit up and take notice even AFTER the Savèse Rosé which is really saying something. Each NV cuvée is a blend of at least three quality vintages and spends three years en tirage.
Andre et Michel Drappier Carte d Or Brut 1990, Urville $89.99
...Highly distinctive and hedonistic with a red fruit flavor that comes from ripe Pinot Noir grown on the rich Aubois soils. Generosity of flavor rather than austere finesse is the hallmark of the Drappier style. A favorite of General de Gaulle who retired near the winery so he could sip it in his garden.... So says fizz fiend Michael Edwards in his compact yet definitive Champagne Companion (Running Press, ISBN 1-56138-440-2) and we heartily concur. These are all outstanding vintages and all just released from the cellars.
Drappier Rosé Brut Val des Demoiselles, Urville 375ml Half Bottle
Compare at $27.99 but we have 15 cases at just $19.99!
Our good friend Terry Theise (importer of most of our best Fizz) says about Rosé Champagne...”A valuable seduction tool: indeed, without them, I would fear for the very future of the Human Race”. And THIS one, aside from being a fantastically rich mouthful of Pinot-y goodness, is called “Valley of the Young Ladies” so, geeze, dude, what the hell are you waiting for?
Duval-Leroy Millennium Brut, Vertus $60.00
This is a really nice Tête de Cuvée with lots of guts and weight in a really flash bottle depicting the history of the world from the Pyramids to the Mir space station that they wanted us to sell for $125 dollars during the fake millennium of 1999. Well, by just saying "NO!" to all such offers for a years we can now bring it to you for half price and with an extra eight years of aging.
Comtesse Michèle Elyzabeth Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc 1996, Avize $93.00
Comtesse Michèle Elyzabeth Grand Cru Rosé, Avize $49.99
Fleury Brut Cuvée Robert Fleury, Courteron Sold Out, Returning Soon!
Fleury Brut R.D. 1988, Courteron $120.00 ORGANIC
Fleury Brut Siecle d’Or 1988, Courteron $120.00 ORGANIC
Highly aromatic wines made from 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay grown according to the strict Biodynamic agricultural size: medium;">regime! The house Bubbly at famed natural foods temple Chez Panisse, these are not just some hippy-dippy organic placebo, they’re GREAT CHAMPAGNES that happen to be organic!
Veuve Fourny et Fils Brut 1er cru Grande Réserve, Vertus $41.00
Champagne Gardet, Chigny les Roses
Charles Gardet founded this house in 1895, originally in Dizy and later Epernay. With the acquisition of 7 hectares of prime Premier Cru vineyards in the crus of Chigny les Roses, Ludes and Rilly, they moved to Chigny les Roses in the mid 1920’s. Still family owned and dedicated to both great Champagne and value for money, this house is one of la Champagne’s hidden gems.
Gardet Brut Tradition Cuvée Saint Flavy, Chigny Les Roses $53.00
Rich, toasty, tiny bead, full tilt yummy yet quite affordable for what it is.
Gardet Brut Blanc de Blancs Millésime 1998, Chigny les Roses $66.00
Made only in outstanding vintages, this wine spends five years aging on the lees deep in the family cave where it takes on a rich golden hue and a wonderful nuttiness. After the remuage and disgorgement a special dosage of reserve wines kept in small oak casks and a touch of cane sugar is added to finish it, giving a unique toasty richness to the final product.
Gaston Chiquet Carte Verte Brut Premier Cru Tradition à Dizy $49.99
Gaston Chiquet Carte Verte Brut Premier Cru Tradition à Dizy $28.99 375ml
Gaston Chiquet Brut Premier Cru 1998 à Dizy $51.00
Gaston Chiquet Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs d’Aÿ $56.00
Gaston Chiquet Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs d’Aÿ MAGNUM $149.99
Gaston Chiquet Cuvée Brut Rosé, Dizy 54.99
The Big Bang of Farmer Fizz: Gaston Chiquet were the very first growers to keep their grapes and make their own wine, beginning in 1919. Their Carte Verte is mostly Pinot Meunier, giving it a richness and perfume on the nose you normally just do not see at this price. The Blanc de Blancs carries the classic Aÿ nose of quince and nutmeg leading to a huge apple butter flavor in the mouth. Superb! Try it with scallops and mangos en brochette or as a prelude to spending a nice Sunday morning in bed studying comparative biology.....it’s addictive! What more can we say, we LOVE this guy!
René Geoffroy Cuvée Expression Brut Premier Cru à Cumières $56.00
René Geoffroy Cuvée Volupte Brut Premier Cru à Cumières $66.00
René Geoffroy Cuvée Prestige Brut Premier Cru à Cumières $71.00
René Geoffroy Rosé de Saignée Premier Cru à Cumières $68.00
René Geoffroy Cuvée Millennium
Brut 1995 Premier Cru à Cumières $250.00 MAGNUM
Geoffroy has some of the only vineyards in Champagne with full southeastern exposure allowing complete ripening of red varieties Pinots Noir et Meunier which lend a richness to his wines. Importer Terry Theise goes beyond even his usual verbal whackitude for these: “absolutely full-tilt YUMMY...frivolous and giggly yet deadly serious...plummy with notes of smoked bacon and a second wave of faded Rosés....complex, stop you in your tracks flavors of sugared almonds, sweet talc (!?!?!), sweet lemon, texture of thick suede....” The Cuvée Prestige is 70% Chardonnay and bursts out of the glass with guava and quince aromas followed by a shockingly full palate.
Pierre Gimonnet Brut Blanc de Blancs, Premier Cru Cuis $55.00
Pierre Gimonnet Cuvée Paradoxe 2002
Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs, Cramant et Chouilly $59.00
Pierre Gimonnet Cuvée Fleuron 2002
Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs, Cramant et Chouilly $74.00
Pierre Gimonnet Vieiles Vignes de Chardonnay
Millesime Brut de Collection 1998, 1er Cru Cramant et Chouilly $147.00 MAGNUM
These are wines worthy of consideration by the snootiest White Burgundy fan: 100% Chardonnay from vines ranging from 40 to 80 years in age producing intense reductive flavors of lanolin, flint, almonds and honey suspended in a hugely textured mouthfeel.
“After all, at the end of the day, brand trumps quality don’t you think?”
LVMH executive in a French business magazine.
Are you KIDDING me? NO! The Champagne Conspiracy Unmasked
They’re lying to you. They want you to be ignorant, clueless and easily manipulated. They’ve spent millions of dollars to inoculate you with a dreadful consumer virus called “brand anxiety”. They act as if alternatives did not even exist and if you point them out they call them “off brands from inconsequential players”. They take your money and give it to shareholders, ad agencies and guys named Louie with pinky rings instead of putting it in the bottle where it belongs. In short, they must be stopped! Who are “they”? Industrial Champagne producers (usually owned and operated by either giant liquor empires and/or luxury goods consortiums) who want you to think of Champagne as a “branded lifestyle statement” instead of wine when, in fact, Champagne has much in common with Burgundy, growing the same varieties in an even more difficult climate, and all the same quality rules apply:
1) The best wines are made from Grand Cru and Premier Cru Vineyards.
2) The best producers are maniacal, hands-on grower / winemakers, not jet-set pseudo-royalty types who’ve inherited the figurehead proprietorship of a “luxury brand” controlled by an insurance company, grocery chain, perfume manufacturer or liquor distributor.
3) The best wines are NOT made in millions of cases (thousands or even hundreds of bottles is more likely!).
4) Most of the best producers are not in the industrial centers of Reims/Epernay but in villages with fanciful names like Dizy, Bouzy and Ludes and you can taste the differences in terroir just like those between Volnay and Vosne-Romanee.
5) Anything that is made in enough quantity to be a “Brand” in a market with 300 million people is BY DEFINITION not the “creme de la creme” or in any way indicative of the best possible quality. Do the math....
These houses are engaged in a battle for the very soul of Champagne with the industrial producers who want the French government to deregulate Champagne altogether. They need your support and their wines are much more interesting anyway. Of special added consumer interest is that the marketing weasels have been so successful that the best Champagnes often cost far less than the famous fizz due to the absence of giant ad budgets, the need to pour Jeroboams over the heads of athletes or giving significant proportions of the inventory away at charity, art and fashion functions. A win-win situation for savvy buyers. Cheers and back to our program.....
"Most fine wine shops carry a small, well-selected group of grower-producer wines, but a few shops in Southern California are renowned for their depth. That is especially true of Wine Expo in Santa Monica, which has probably the best selection of such wines in California..."
Los Angeles Times Dec 24, 2008
Biggest Bang for the Buck in World Class Fizz? Bruno Gobillard!
Bruno Gobillard Champagne Vieilles Vignes, Pierry $83.00
Just HOW good is this Champagne? Well, we were once having dinner with the importer and the agents of Camille Savese, Jose Dhondt and Raymond Boulard and were adamantly telling them “We have enough different Champagnes already, we CAN’T take any new ones this year!” but they poured this with the Blue Crab Spring Rolls and somehow we found ourselves DEMANDING that they give us the lion’s share of the mere 20 cases destined for the US. If you imagine an old fashioned cream soda made out of perfectly ripe pears, fragrant apple blossoms AND the pure minerality of the chalk beds underlying this famous suburb of Epernay you’d be on your way to getting your mind around this stuff. The incredibly fine mousse, and endless echoing finish will make a serious impact on your guests or any giftee. VERY limited.
J.M. Gobillard Brut Tradition, Hautvillers $28.99
Spicy, toasty, almost exotic nose (thanks to some really ripe Meunier grapes), rich full flavors followed by a BONE dry and refreshing finish, all for under $30? To quote Janis Joplin channeling Howard Tate: You better get it while you can.....
Godmé Pere et Fils Grand Cru Brut 1998 à Verzenay $58.00
medium;">A Win/Win Situation! BIG, toasty, rich, chewy, 100% Grand Cru Pinot Noir from the heart of the fabled vineyards of Verzenay. You can get two of these and change back from a bottle of Dom....and it is MUCH more interesting fizz besides.
Gosset Brut Excellence, Äy $28.99 375ml
Gosset Grande Réserve Brut, Aÿ $64.99
Gosset Grande Réserve Brut, Aÿ $49.99 375ml
Gosset Grande Réserve Brut Rosé, Aÿ $49.99 375ml
The oldest house in Champagne, founded in 1584, making wines that compare with Krug, Bollinger RD or Pre-Moet Veuve: Pinot based and barrel fermented, big, chewy, seriously textured yet impeccably balanced.
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Goutorbe Cuvée Prestige Brut Premier Cru Äy $51.00
Goutorbe Cuvée Special Club Brut 2000 Premier Cru Äy $87.00
Goutorbe Cuvée Prestige Brut Rosé Grand Cru Äy $67.00
Carré Guébels Brut Tradition Premier Cru, Trepail $49.99
Carré Guébels Brut Réserve Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru, Trepail $72.00
How small is this producer? A Google search with the name properly spelled and accented came up with ONE hit: someone selling a collection of posters, capsules and corks from them on E-bay in FRANCE! Now, that’s exclusive: they’ve made more Veuve since you started reading this than these guys will in the next decade.... Delicious, creamy, intense Chardonnay based flavors and quite affordable for what it is.
Marc Hébrart Cuvée de Reserve Brut, Premier Cru Mareuil-su-Aÿ $49.99
Marc Hébrart Cuvée de Reserve Brut, Premier Cru Mareuil-su-Aÿ $26.99 375ml
Marc Hébrart Cuvée Selection Brut, Premier Cru Mareuil-su-Aÿ $53.00
Marc Hébrart Special Club Brut 2002, Premier Cru Mareuil-su-Aÿ $78.00
Importer Terry Theise, after going on for three paragraphs about just WHY these are outstanding wines from a technical standpoint (99% rated Pinot from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ meets Grand Cru Chardonnay from Chuilly and Oiry, winemaking details, etc) then just blurts it out: “These Champagnes will wiggle the knob on your Yum-o-Meter!”. Well, all-RIGHTY then! The Réserve is elegant and refreshing with juicy pinot fruit woven into nice minerallity while the Prestige is just insane: aromatics from jasmine, apples and lemon to spices and more lead you to one of the sexiest mouthfuls of wine we offer.
Heidsieck Monopole Diamant Rosé Brut 1988, Epernay $120.00
Classics, built for aging and with fairly extreme styles: the Rose is full on Pinot with toffee, strawberry and walnut notes while the Diamant Bleu is one of the more minerally, chalky, Chardonnay dominated bubblies made outside of le Mesnil. As Jack says, “You want Champagne? You can’t handle real Champagne! You want something to swill down at your little yuppie parties but not call attention to itself, well this stuff stands at friggin’ attention and says ‘Hey you, chew on this!’ This is what Champagne USED to taste like before it became a PR tool for multinational Luxury Life-style Mongers! You make me sick, you deserve all the nasty Spanish Cava they can make because you don’t drink your Sherry any more either. Are we CLEAR?”. Thanks, Jack, we needed that.
Henriot Brut Blanc Souverain Pur Chardonnay, Reims $120.00 MAGNUM
Creamy, silky, smooth, this is a wonderful way to start an evening (or a morning if you have nothing else to do)...
Andre Jacquart & Fils, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
This is NOT the large cooperative producer you might think of when you hear the name Jacquart! This is a tiny but perfectly situated (11 hectares of Le Mesnil, the most famous Chardonnay vineyard in la Champagne), insanely quality driven family winery.
A. Jacquart & Fils Blanc de Blancs
Grand Cru Le Mesnil Carte Blanche Brut $45.00
A. Jacquart & Fils Blanc de Blancs
Grand Cru Le Mesnil Cuvée Spécial Brut $52.00
A. Jacquart & Fils Blanc de Blancs
Grand Cru Le Mesnil Millésime 2000 Brut $72.00
A. Jacquart & Fils Blanc de Blancs
Grand Cru Le Mesnil Special Club 1995 $78.00
Brilliantly distilled essences of the classic Mesnil flavor set: intense Apple, Pear and Quince fruit laced with thrilling acidity and minerallity in their youth (these can go the distance) which will evolve into exotic fruit and toasted walnut with age. Either way you win, you just serve them with different foods. VERY limited. What is the Special Club bit about? It is a group of growers who self enforce MUCH higher standards than the AOC calls for (and it shows!) and put only their best wines in a specially crested bottle.
“The best Champagnes always cost less than the most famous Champagnes because the price of fame is so high...” Time Magazine quoting WINE EXPO 12.18.00
You want DRY??? Jean Lallement!
Jean Lallement et Fils Brut Grand Cru à Verzenay $59.99
Jean Lallement et Fils Brut Cuvée Réserve Grand Cru à Verzenay $65.00
These performed way “out of class” in several recent tastings and are very limited as M. Lallement has a mere 4.5 hectares of vineyards. The wines are fermented with natural ambient yeasts, are never filtered and are given so little dosage that the importer calls them “militantly dry, martial law in a glass, powerhouse Champagnes with fresh hay and mineral noses, there is nothing else remotely like them”. The DRIESTChampagnes we offer!
Champagne Lallier, Aÿ
With five generations producing wines in the historic Champagne town of Aÿ (home to Bollinger, Gosset and Ayala), the Lallier family laid the groundwork for this house which was then purchased by Francis Tribaut in 2003. His name may be familiar to you as his family has been making quality fizz in both Champagne and California for a long time as well. The wines are drawn from 30 acres situated mostly in the Grand Cru of Aÿ with some additional vines in the Grand Crus of the Côte des Blancs and some Meunier in the Marne. Their motto, printed on every label is “Dans la mousse d'Aÿ, luit l'éclair d'un bonheur” (In the bubbles of Aÿ, shines the flash of happiness!) This wines are full throttle FUN fizz: richly flavored with dried fruits and toasty yeast notes and a lovely creamy mousse.
Lallier Grande Reserve Brut, Grand Cru Aÿ $66.00
Lallier Brut Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru Aÿ $65.99
Lallier Brut Sélection Rosé, Premier Cru, Aÿ $59.99
Lallier Brut Rosé, Premier Cru, Äy $63.99
Lallier Brut Sélection Blanc, Premier Cru, Aÿ $49.99
Guy Larmandier Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Vertus Sold Out, Returning Soon!
Guy Larmandier Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Cramant 2000 $71.00
One of the true gems of the Côtes des Blancs, exemplary viticulture and winemaking. These stunning Blancs de Blancs smell like baked apples, almonds, love and maybe even sex. We LOVE this Guy and so will you!
Larmandier-Bernier Né d’une Terre de Vertus Cuvée Non Dosée $75.00 Bio-Dynamic
Larmandier-Bernier Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru à Vertus $65.00 Bio-Dynamic
Larmandier-Bernier Rocks! Literally....you can taste the chalk! Pierre Larmandier is one of the very creme de la creme of Côtes des Blancs producers, a meticulous viticulturist and winemaker whose stunning Blanc de Blancs can easily rout bottlings at thrice the price in blind tastings. The wines explode with fresh apple and pear notes, whiffs of exotic flowers, and just plain CLASS all layered on a full-framed, leesy, toasted brioche foundation. Outrageous quality, affordable pricing, groovy! The Terre de Vertus is an “adult” Champagne for fans of nuance, elegance and breed, with a VERY dry, firm palate with crisply delineated white fruit, mineral and flower flavors.
J. Lasalle Brut Cachet d'Or, Chigny les Roses $38.99
Jean Laurent Blanc de Blancs, Celles-sur-Ource $45.00
Jean Laurent Blanc de Noir, Celles-sur-Ource $57.00
Le Brun Servenay Brut Selection Grand Cru Avize $67.00
Le Brun Servenay Brut Millesime 1998 Grand Cru Avize $85.00
Le Brun Servenay Brut Millesime 1997 Grand Cru Avize $ 71.99
Leclaire-Gaspard Brut Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru Avize $44.99
A.R. Lenoble Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru de Chouilly $38.99
A.R. Lenoble Brut Intense, Damery $23.99 375ml
A.R. Lenoble Brut Blanc de Blancs 1996 Grand Cru de Chouilly $68.00
A.R. Lenoble Brut Rosé Grand Cru de Chouilly Sold Out, Returning Soon!
Incredible values in Grand Cru Chardonnay based wine, the NV is toasty and rich and...intense while the ‘96 B d B is elegant, with hints of lime and that toasted almond note that comes from bottle age. It blew peoples brains out when we served it with Soft Shell Crabs at our Champagne Fest dinner and stopped folks in their tracks at our Fizz Fest Fest at Matteo’s as well. Simply AMAZING, less than 2 cases left...
Lilbert-Fils Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut à Cramant $56.00
The Lilbert family brings two hundred fifty vintages of experience at coaxing dreams of baked apples, vanilla mousse and the scent of wild flowers out of one of the greatest Chardonnay vineyards on the planet to your table. Limited!
A. Margaine Le Brut, Premier Cru à Villers-Marmery $48.99
A. Margaine Le Brut, Premier Cru à Villers-Marmery $28.99 375ML
A. Margaine Cuvée Traditionelle Demi-Sec 1er Cru à Villers-Marmery $41.99
Described by importer Terry Theise as “a Catherine Deneuve of a wine with the best aromas I have ever experienced in Champagne...just about as pretty as Chardonnay can be...Damn, this could almost be Riesling!” Coming from the premier selector / importer of German wine, this is no small compliment. The Demi-Sec is perfectly balanced between flowery sweetness and bracing acidity, just the thing for a nice pear torte. The Rosé is so pretty in the glass you want to kiss it and then it is so delicious and refreshing you will wish you had a case.
Yeah, yeah, yeah...Farmer Fizz, Grand Crus...what-EVER, but where’s the White Star? Next to the Red Bull and the Raspberry Merlot at the market where it always is!
Jean Milan Brut Carte Blanche, Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Oger $52.99
Jean Milan Brut Speciale Selection, Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Oger $52.99
Jean-Charles Milan Cuvée de Réserve Brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Oger $72.00
Jean Milan Brut Selection “Terres de Noel” Selection 2002, Grand Cru Oger $95.00
Absolutely terroir--ist facsimiles of the chalky-pencil lead soil of Oger glazed with the deepest most complex fruit imaginable. The Carte Blanche is fluffy and frothy, “let’s have a drink” fizz while the Special Selection is much drier and more minerally. The Jean-Charles Réserve is fermented in oak for a creamier texture. The Terres di Noel and Cuvée Symphorine are made from separate plots of very old vines producing a ha-uuuuuuge mouthfeel that expands for literally minutes with buttery, toasty, “I didn’t know they made sparkling Montrachet” flavors and textures. And then there is this:
Jean Milan Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Sec “Tendresse”, Oger $56.00
Hey, you...yeah, YOU! Wanna get lucky? Then this is the one you want: rich, smooth, round, perfect with fresh strawberries, chocolate, a care package from Victoria’s Secret...use your imagination. Finally, a truly high quality off-dry (no, we’re actually going to say it: SWEET!) Champagne that’s the perfect thing with breakfast in bed, dessert, sunsets, fireplaces and long French kisses. A public service from your friends at WINE EXPO
Marcel Moineaux Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 1998, Chouilly Marne $59.99
Our friend, self confessed Champagne freak Chef Sang Yoon of Father’s Office, says he hates all Champagnes from Chouilly and that this one (which he LOVES) is the exception that proves the rule. REALLY creamy and complex Chardonnay flavors, affordable.
Robert Moncuit Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
Sold Out, Returning Soon!
One of the brightest stars in the galaxy known as Le Mesnil, the greatest village in la Champagne for mineral driven Chardonnay.
Jean Moutardier a le Breuil
This small, quality driven house has been a family run and strictly independent producer since 1921. Lately it has been under the guidance of Jonathan Saxby, a wildly successful British businessman who liked the company so much he married into the family and bailed his career in finance to study Champagne at the enology school in Avize. His love of rich, bullbodied, nutty Champagnes in the British style is borne out in the wines which are based on some of the best Pinot Meunier vineyards in Champagne:
Moutardier Carte d Or Brut, le Breuil $54.99
Moutardier Carte d Or Brut, le Breuil $29.99 375ML
This is firmly dry with a meaty, nutty note and makes a nice way to greet your guests.
Moutardier Brut Cuvee Etoile, le Breuil $59.99
Richer, even more golden and nutty, this can stand up to quite big food (or maybe just a bear skin rug and a fireplace).
Moutardier Brut Cuvee Rosee, le Breuil $69.99
Deeply colored and vibrantly vinous, throw anything from Christmas Goose to Crispy Pork Belly at this and it will rock your table.
Pannier Brut Blanc de Blancs 1998 à Chateau Thierry $48.00
Bracingly crisp and full flavored vintage Champagne for the price of industrial cuvées, 3 cases only, Roberto took one!
Pehu-Simonet Brut Selection Grand Cru à Verzenay $55.99
Pehu-Simonet Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru à Verzenay $74.00
Pehu-Simonet Brut Rosé Grand Cru à Verzenay $75.00
Pierre Peters Cuvée de Réserve Blanc de Blancs
Grand Cru le Mesnil $129.00 MAGNUM
Pierre Peters Cuvée de Réserve Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru le Mesnil $54.00
Pierre Peters Brut 1999 Blanc de Blancs
Brut Grand Cru le Mesnil $80.00
Pierre Peters Brut 1999 Blanc de Blancs
Cuvée Special Grand Cru le Mesnil Sold Out, Returning Soon!
Pierre Peters Brut 1999 Blanc de Blancs
Cuvée Special Grand Cru le Mesnil $151.00 MAGNUM
We must defer to importer Terry Theise (who can spin prose that makes even our stream of consciousness rants look like The Wall Street Journal) who says: “The wines I’d tasted from several small growers in Mesnil had a certain distilled exquisiteness, as if the prettiest and finest essence of Chardonnay had been skimmed like sweet cream. But these wines were eye-poppingly vivid and distinct, impeccable and gleamingly firm, like diamonds.” Perhaps the single greatest artist working in Chardonnay based fizz, M. Peters’ wines are simply mindblowing: insanely complex crystalline encapsulations of both the unique terroir of Champagne’s greatest white wine vineyard and his fanatical attention to detailing every nuance of the fruit. Aside from the wine, the packaging is some of the most elegant in Champagne, perfect for gifts.
Philipponnat Brut Clos des Goisses 1999, Mareuil sur Äy $189.00
Ployez-Jacqumart Brut, Ludes Sold Out, Returning Soon!
Ployez-Jacqumart Brut Blanc de Blancs Vintage 1998, Ludes $64.00
Ployez-Jacqumart L. D'Harbonville 1996, Ludes $155.00
Very high quality fizz at user friendly pricing, the Ployez wines are racy and crisp and aromatic, nervous stallions just waiting to run the Kentucky Derby on your palate. The L. d’Harbonville is fermented in small oak and is very rich, complex and satisfying. VERY Limited.
Roger Pouilloon et Fils Brut Cuvée de Réserve à Mareuil sur Aÿ $36.99
Lily Bollinger on when to drink Champagne: “I drink it when I’m happy and console myself with it when I am sad. I drink it when I am alone and when I have have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it....unless I’m thirsty!”
Champagne Andre Robert, Le Mesnil-Oger
For at least five years in the early days of our store this was our undisputed #1 most popular Champagne producer: fizz fiends from far and wide routinely bought it by the case while telling their friends how good it was AND what a great deal it was. Then a series of acquisitions and realignments in the chain of importers and distributors left us without any way to fill your constant (and often strident!) requests for these wines for almost a decade.
So, imagine our delight when THIS happened: During literally the last 30 minutes of that five days of vinous madness known as VinItaly 2006 we were taking a shortcut to the bus thruough a new pavillion where foreign (as in non-Italian) exhibitors poured their wares for the Italian market and there it was: a small stand with the magic words Champagne Andre Robert, Le Mesnil sur Oger on a sign under which Bertrand Robert and his wife Colette were packing up to return to France. We RAN over to them and explained who we were and how much of their wonderful wines we had sold in the past and how much pent up demand there was here and begged a few moments of their time. Well, Bertrand’s face lit up like Times Square on New Year’s Eve, he broke out his wines and some glasses and we made a deal right then and there as the clean-up crews worked all around us. Cheers!
Andre Robert Cuvée de Réserve Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru $52.00
Andre Robert Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 2002 le Mesnil sur Oger $62.00
Andre Robert Cuvée Séduction Brut 2003 $69.99
Stunning! Bone dry with intense mineral / citrus notes, the Blanc de Blancs may be the perfect aperitif bubblies and are sure to be big hits with your guests. The Cuvée Séduction earns it name and then some with big rich textures and flavors: 70% Chardonnay from Oger meets 30% Pinot Noir from Vertus, gets femented in small oak and emerges too sexy for its flute.
Camille Savès Brut Carte Blanche Premier Cru à Bouzy Sold Out, Returning Soon!
Camille Savès Brut Carte Blanche Premier Cru à Bouzy $34.99 375ml
Camille Savès Brut Grand Cru à Bouzy $65.00
Camille Savès Brut 2000 Grand Cru à Bouzy $162.00 MAGNUM
Camille Savès Brut Rosé Grand Cru à Bouzy $78.00
As tired a cliché as it seems, these literally DANCE on your tongue: they are the most physically active Champagnes we have ever encountered, powered by 100% Pinot Noir from Bouzy (the heart of the beast for Pinot Fizz).
Françoise Secondé Millesime Brut Blanc de Blanc 2002 Grand Cru Sillery $49.99
Françoise Secondé Integral, Grand Cru Sillery $41.00
Serveaux Fils Brut Blanc de Blancs, à Passy-sur-Marne $44.00
Serveaux Fils Brut Rosé, à Passy-sur-Marne $49.00
This producer is our quiet little secret, there isn’t really enough to go around so we keep kind of mum about them...
Friends don’t let friends drink Veuve...they send them here to visit
“LA’s true temple of Champagne worship!” Chris Rubin, Los Angeles Reader
Wowie freakin’ zowie, these are good: SOUTIRAN!
Ambonnay is the heart of the beast if you like BIG, gutsy, “a flat glass of this would still be great wine” Champagnes. These are not only handmade gems of the highest quality and site specific typicity, they come in great antique packaging sure to make impressive gifts or dress up your table.
A. Soutiran Grand Cru Rosé Brut, Ambonnay Sold Out, Returning Soon!
One of the best Rosés in la Champagne, full flavored enough for heartier foods!
A. Soutiran Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc Brut, Ambonnay $59.99
Dreamsickles in a glass: baked apple and pear notes, endless creamy mousse.
A. Soutiran Grand Cru Perle Noire Brut, Ambonnay $64.00
A. Soutiran Grand Cru Brut, Ambonnay $48.00
A. Soutiran Grand Cru Millésimé Brut 2000, Ambonnay $69.00
Tribaut-Schloesser Cuvée René Brut, Romery $65.00
Fourth generation proprietor Jean-Marie Tribaut runs this small house founded in 1929 with 20 hectares surrounding the villages of Romery, Fleury la Riviere and Cormoyeaux (close to d'Hautvillers, the Birthplace of Champagne). These villages combine the qualities of the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne. Cuvée René honors René Schloesser, one of the house’s founders and is a deliciously complex melange of 70% Chardonnay / 30% Pinot Noir selected from the best plots and aged in oak before the secondary fermentation and then given eight years rest on the lees. The results is one of the best values in Champagne: rich toasted almond and hazelnut aromas waft over a full bodied wine with extremely small and creamy bead and a strong honey note on the finish.
Varnier-Fanniere Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, Avize $57.00
Varnier-Fanniere Cuvée Saint Denis Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, Avize $66.00
Varnier-Fanniere Grand Vintage
Brut 1999 Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, Avize $82.00
At a Champagne dinner our good friend Sang Yoon, a self confessed “champagne freak”, the proprietor of Santa Monica landmark Father’s Office and a way serious Chef besides (ex Spago, Chinois and Michael’s among others), was expounding on how these amazingly complex and minerally bubblies are “everything I look for in great Champagne”. That’s good enough for us, taste and believe....
J. L. Vergnon Extra-Brut Non Dosé
Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Sold Out, Returning Soon!
J. L. Vergnon Brut Millesimé 1998,
Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil-sur-Oger $54.00
Mmmmmmmmm....rocks glazed with pear and citrus.....Mmmmmmmmmmm....me likey!
Krug at Half Price? Vilmart!
Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellier Rosé Brut 2000 à Rilly $99.00 BIODYNAMIC
Vilmart & Cie Cuvée Creation Brut 1998 à Rilly $129.00 BIODYNAMIC
Tom Stevenson’s standard reference to Champagne raves that “...the Vilmart range begins at brilliant and just keeps getting better.” The importer is “...absolutely certain that you will freak over these...drink them when they’re ready and great chambers won’t be able to contain your freaking!” The grapes are bio-dynamically cultivated, painstakingly selected at harvest then every drop is barrel fermented in the grand tradition of Krug and Bollinger with stunning results and are every bit as age-worthy. The owner professes “we do wine first then we do Champagne”! The Coeur de Cuvée is the top of the line from a producer who has been heralded as making “one of the three greatest Champagnes of the last 25 years” by Stevenson (the other two were Krug). This intense wine is known amongst French collectors as “The Poor Man’s Krug”.
WINE EXPO:
The store for People who know that Korbel is NOT Champagne!
