Grower Champagne

Aurélien Suenen might be young, but making Champagne is already a second career for him. His first had been as a professional basketball player. He is a disciple of both Pascal Agrapart and Anselme Selosse, whose advice has much bearing on this promising young grower in Cramant. He farms just 3 hectares across the Côte des Blancs grand cru villages of Chouilly, Oiry and Cramant. This is based on 2016 vintage (50%), and has the incisive, delicate but steely preicison of limestone-driven blanc de blancs. Aurélien's wines have already made a major impression on grower champagne followers, and are already incredibly hard to get hold of. He is one to watch.

2013 was Aurélien's first release of this outstanding Cramant Grand Cru. It was vinified all in one large oak foudre before being bottled in 2014. It then spent 5 years ageing sur lattes before disgorgement (just 2g/l). This wine shows the accomplished confidence of a vigneron many years more experienced than this raw young talent. Aurélien Suenen might be young, but making Champagne is a second career for him. His first had been as a professional basketball player. He is a disciple of both Pascal Agrapart and Anselme Selosse, whose advice has much bearing on this promising young grower in Cramant. He farms just 3 hectares across the Côte des Blancs grand cru villages of Chouilly, Oiry and Cramant. Aurélien's wines have already made a major impression on grower champagne followers, and are already incredibly hard to get hold of. He is one to watch.

The heritage of these Chardonnay vines couldn't be more impeccable: a massal selection from Selosse’s vines in Avize and Dauvissat's in Chablis. It is zero dosage, but thanks to its long élevage, has a richness and power, setting it apart from more fragile, filegree blanc de blancs. Bertrand Gautherot was one of the earliest growers to the biodynamic party, and has been certified by Demeter since 1998. He has been a trailblazer in the Aube ever since, setting an example that many younger growers have followed. His vineyards are closer to Chablis than Reims, and the Kimmeridgian limestone soil is an important part of the domaine's style.

Only 4000 bottles of this wine have been made in 2016 from the low yielding old vines planted on a north-facing slope in Mareuil-le-Port. It is taut and refined, with the nervous fruit of top class Pinot Meunier handled by expert hands. Bérêche is now one of the most sought-after growers in Champagne. The family team own 11 hectares, most of which are in the village of Ludes on the Montagne de Reims. In recent years they have gone from strength to strength, and their wines are snapped up with speed. They block malolactic fermentation so the wines have a tensile, chalky line running through them. The extended oak ageing they practice adds depth and power to the wines.

Laurent Champs, owner and Chef de Cave of Vilmart, is one of Champagne’s unsung heroes. The house has been in his family for five generations, and he now farms 11 hectares and makes wines of haunting beauty. His champagnes some of the most flavoursome wines we know, with visceral freshness thanks to blocked malolactic fermentation, and superb concentration. The Cœur de Cuvée is his top wine, and even in the difficult vintage of 2010 is an unqualified success.

This 12 hectare domaine is based in Merfy, just north-west of Reims. The young Alexandre Chartogne took over the family domaine in 2006 having trained at Selosse, whose influence is seen in the way he works his vineyards. No pesticides or herbicides are used, and ploughing is done by horse. Specialising in single vineyard Champagnes, Alexandre produces eight cuvées. Antonio Galloni says his "readers will find very few growers with a deeper love of the land and all it has to say than Alexandre Chartogne." The Couarres is one of two Champagnes that Alexandre makes from the south-facing slope of sandy soils over tufa. Aged in 3-6 year old barrels. 5.5g/l dosage.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Maison Collard Picard, with their cellars on the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, was a.n.other negociant Champagne house. But in fact, this 16 hectare domaine is a true grower. They have vines in both the Côte des Blancs (Le Mesnil-sur-Oger) and the Vallée de la Marne. The Cuvée Prestige has such an appealing exuberance to it: plump ripeness of fruit with racy freshness.

This is a tiny 2.5 hectare estate joust south-west of Reims. Emmanuel's first bottling was in 2002, and since then he has built up an enthusiastic following. Certified organic, the grapes are always picked with at least 10% potential alcohol as Emmanuel never chaptalizes, believing the process to dampen the aromatics of the wines. In 2000 he invested in a small vertical basket press, about half the size of a normal one. He vinifies the various plots that go into this wine seperately, and carefully decides what makes it into the final blend. This release has 2016 at the heart of the blend. Hard to find, thanks to the tiny production, but well worth it when you do.

Mémoire is one of the most exciting wines in the Huré cellar, drawing on the perpetual reserve started in 1982. You can feel the depth of the older wine herein this vinous and structured wine that is crying out to be drunk with food. Its deep, plush flavour gets better every time you return to the glass. Brothers François and Pierre Huré have brought a wealth of experience gained from winemaking stints all over the world, from Burgundy to New Zealand, to their family domaine in the village of Ludes on the Montagne de Reims. The domaine picked up its 'Frères' in the previous generation, when three brothers ran the show. Family collaboration, hard work, and dedication across the generations has ensured the success of this 10 hectare domaine, whose wines are discreet and elegant, sometimes a little shy at first, but show a profound depth of flavour as they open up in the glass.

This cuvée is made from Pinot Meunier vines planted between 1947 and 1964. The wine is aged in 4-12 year old barrels. It undergoes no malolactic fermentation and has just 3g/l dosage. This is a sensationally terroir-driven wine, and not easy to find. Aurélien Laherte is the seventh generation of his family to grow vines in the village of Chavot-Courcourt, just to the south of Epernay in between the Côte des Blancs and Vallée de la Marne in a sub-region known as Côteaux Sud d’Épernay. He and his family work 10 hectares across 75 parcels here and his distinctive wines have earned him a strong following. Aurélien is one of a group of dynamic young growers, along with his friend Raphaël Bérèche, who are bent on natural methods and achieving excquisite terroir expression.

Aurélien Laherte is the seventh generation of his family to grow vines in the village of Chavot-Courcourt, just to the south of Epernay in between the Côte des Blancs and Vallée de la Marne in a sub-region known as Côteaux Sud d’Épernay. He and his family work 10 hectares across 75 parcels here and his distinctive wines have earned him a strong following. Aurélien is one of a group of dynamic young growers, along with his friend Raphaël Bérèche, who are bent on natural methods and achieving exquisite terroir expression. Ultradition is the flagship wine of the estate, and showcases how well Pinot Meunier suits the clay-limestone soils in this part of Champagne. The bright floral nose makes this a brilliant aperitif Champagne, yet the smooth and balanced weight of the palate makes it equally well suited to food. Take your pick.

Lerclerc Briant's history stretches back to 1872, but its most interesting chapter has been since Chef de Cave Hervé Justin joined in 2012. Notable for his unorthodox approach to ageing, in his hands the house has grabbed attention for such practices as ageing wines in gold-lined tanks, and submerging bottles deep underwater off the coast of Brittany. But don't let these apparent follies disuade you from trying the excellent 2014, whose frame and length mark it out as quintessential and classical top-class Champagne. Its concentration, energy and balance have much more to do with Hervé's enthusiasm for biodynamic farming. It is a vibrant, steely style, with a long and tense, textured finish. Absolutley delicious. Disgorged September 2020, with 3 g/l dosage.

Lilbert is a tiny estate, just 3.5 hecatres, and their graceful Cramant wines - one of the prized grand cru villages of the Côte des Blancs - are highly sought-after by connoisseurs. This non-vintage grand cru is a blend of 50% 2016 and 50% reserve wine. It has a sea air, briny freshness, and is so quintessentially chalky blanc de blancs on the nose. The palate has a soft mousse (it is slightly lower pressure than mainstream Champagnes) and a salty, fresh length with an agile weight. It is discreet and reserved on first opening, but its reticent refrain opens up with some coaxing. One for the purists.

This is highly-respected estate in the heart of the Côte des Blancs is famed for its scintellating blanc de blancs. It has an impressive history, dating back to 1858, and today is being taken to ever greater heights by current incumbant, Rodolphe Péters, the sixth generation of the family to farm in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Under his stewardship the wines now enjoy insatiable demand. The domaine is curretly 20 hectares, and whilst many growers have pursued single vineyard expressions, Rodolphe favours blends. The heart of this blend comes from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, with the balance coming from Oger, Avize and Cramant. It is without doubt one of the most sought-after non-vintage cuvées on the grower champagne circuit, thanks to its terrific value and sheer quality.