Summer Champagne Restock!
Summer Champagne Restock!
With the new arrivals of Alexandre Lamblot, it seemed only natural to restock some of our, and your favorite Champagnes alongside them! Today we have not only the highly allocated, but also great wines for gifting, cellaring, and everyday drinking too.
A. Lamblot
Alexandre Lamblot farms 3.5 hectares of vines across Vrigny, Chenay, Janvry, and Geux within the Montagne de Reims. The Lamblot family has been in the area since the 1600s and while the family still makes wine under their own label, in the mid 2010s Alexandre started his small project. He released his first Champagnes in 2019, and since then he has come to great acclaim for his attention to detail both in the vineyard and cellar, creating focused, complex Champagnes. What stands out most with his vines are the fairly densely planted vineyards at approximately 9,800 plants per hectare vs. the average of 8,000. Additionally, Alexandre is very focused on creating the least amount of impact on the environment as possible. He only uses smaller, light tractors that fit down the rows. He allows natural plants to grow between the vines and uses vitiforestry, the planting of small trees in the vines, Alexandre's contains 100 different species in each hectare. He also has a mobile chicken coop allowing chickens to feed on the plants and fertilize the soil. All of this work in the vineyard is in conjunction with biodynamic preps. It is clear that the wines of Alexandre reveal all the immense work that goes on in the vineyard and the cellar.
Benoit Dehu
Benoit Dehu represents the 8th generation of vignerons from the village of Fossoy, on the western edge of the Vallee de la Marne. His family has been in the area since 1787, and up until 1968 they only made Coteaux Champenois (still wines). After spending time honing his craft at Bollinger, Benoit returned to the family estate in 2011 and separated out 1.7 hectares of the best vines to farm biodynamically. From here he makes the single vineyard, vintage, and varietal (Pinot Meunier) bottling of 'la Rue des Noyers' a parcel that was once surrounded by hazelnut trees. Since starting his own label, Benoit has added a few more Champagnes to his lineup and each addition showcases his incredible talent as a vigneron. I recently got to visit Benoit and was even more impressed with him, and his wines then I ever thought possible. He is a true intellectual, spending time to study his vines, soils, and the impact that each and every step has on his wines. He has gone as far as vinifying and bottling the three different rootstocks of the vineyard la Rue des Noyers just to see how each helps to form the overall wine. About 30-50% of his barrels are made from trees that neighbor his vineyard sites. On top of being an incredible winemaker, he is a truly lovely person too, we spent time just discussing the wine and Champagne industry as a whole, what the future looks like for both vignerons, as well as retailers, and consumers too. All of this to say that Benoit makes some very special Champagne that shoots well above its price, that drink fantastic on release and will continue to age impeccably.
Laherte Freres
This family estate was founded in 1889 in the village of Chavot. Big changes came with the 4th generation, Michel Laherte who expanded the estate, stopped the use of herbicides and pesticides and then began to modernize the press and tanks. All of these changes allowed the full terroir expression of the wines to shine through. Since 2005 Aurélien has been at the helm, and he has become one of the most progressive rising stars of the appellation.
The vineyards of the estate are mostly in the Coteau Sud d'Epernay, a subregion set between the Cotes des Blancs and the Vallee de la Marne, this opportune combination provides pockets of soils that have the best of each region. The two wines showcased from him today offer the best of both worlds: Les 7 and Les Grandes Crayeres. Les 7 is what I believe to be one of the most unique Champagnes available, a blend of the seven indigenous grape varietals co-planted in a single parcel that has been made in a solera style since 2005. This Champagne is incredibly complex, savory, nutty, and bright with a very bright, lifted finish. Les Grandes Crayeres comes from two plots in Chavot with very chalky soils, it is a Blanc de Blancs that shows incredible precision, minerality, and incredibly salinity. Perfect for apertif or will pair very well with a wide array of foods.
-Hanna Krilov Cohen
Change the "View as" style below to read MORE INFO on the wines, and click on a wine for the full tasting note!
Please allow until Tuesday August 5th for pick up and delivery
Dehu, Benoit 2019 Champagne 'La Rue des Noyers' Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature
A 4 hectare plot on the western edge of the Vallee de la Marne in Fossoy. The vines were planted between 1970 and 1975 on limestone soils. The wine is aged 11 months sur lee in oak barrels, some of...
$124.99
Laherte Freres 2020 Les Grandes Crayeres Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
Sourced from two very chalky plots in Chavot planted between 1953-1978. It undergoes natural fermentation in older barrels with slight stirring of the lees. The wine spends 36 months on the lees before disgorgement. This Champagne is a beautiful chalky,...
$104.99
Laherte Freres NV 'Les 7' Extra Brut (2005-2021)
A single plot coplanted in 2003 on the slopes of Chavot with all 7 grape varietals and has been in a perpetual reserve since 2005. A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier, Pinot Noir, Fromonteau (Pinot Gris),...
$149.99
A. Lamblot NV Intuition Brut Nature [2018-extended elevage]
A blend of 57% Pinot Meunier, 23% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Noir from 25-50 year old vines planted in Vrigny, Chenay, and Gueux. The wine is vinified in oak barrels many of which are made from trees from the forest...
$124.99
A. Lamblot NV Mouvance Brut Nature (2021)
A blend of 77% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier, and 8% Chardonnay from 25-50 year old vines in Vrigny, Chenay, and Gueux. Aged in demi-muids before spending 24 months on the lees. All riddling is done by hand and disgorged...
$104.99
A. Lamblot NV Amplitude Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature (2019)
100% Chardonnay planted between 1969-1982 in Vrigny and Janvry. The wine is aged in jarres and oak barrels before spending 24 months sur lattes. All riddling is done by hand and disgorged according to the lunar calendar. The wine gets...
$139.99
A. Lamblot NV Reserve Perpetuelle Brut Nature (2017-2021)
100% Pinot Noir from old vines of Chenay and Vrigny. The wine is aged in jarres and oak barrels before spending 24 months sur lattes. All riddling is done by hand and disgorged according to the lunar calendar. The wine...
$189.99
A. Lamblot NV Les Cotes Cheries Brut Nature (2019)
100% Pinot Meunier from a single parcel planted in 1984 in Gueux. The wine is aged in jarres and oak barrels before spending 24 months sur lattes. All riddling is done by hand and disgorged according to the lunar calendar....
$189.99
Rafflin, Herve 2015 La Nature'L 1er Cru Extra Brut
The 2015 is a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown organically in the village of Ludes. After fermentation the wine is aged for 6 months in stainless steel tanks before being bottled. The wine aged for 8 years...
$59.99
Chavost NV Blanc d'Assemblage Brut Nature [Base 2022]
A blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Meunier from clay-limestone soils in Chavost just south of Epernay. Spontaneously fermented, aged 18 months on the lees with no added sulphites nor dosage.
$49.99
Gerbais, Pierre NV Champagne 'Grain des Celles' Rose Extra Brut
A blend of 55% Pinot Noir (including 10% Coteaux Champenois), 22.5% Chardonnay and 22.5% Pinot Blanc. Vinified and aged without any added SO2. Primary and secondary fermentation take place in tank before being aged for 30 months on the lees....
$83.99
Ponson NV Champagne Premier Cru Brut
Maxime Ponson, of Champagne Ponson, is a strong proponent of organic viticulture in Champagne, making delightful wines in area around Montagne de Reims. The straightforward and remarkably well-valued "Premier Cru" is a blend of Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir...
$47.99