Join us this Thursday for our annual GROWER CHAMPAGNE Tasting! Tasting is offered first come first served, only one bottle of each champagne will be opened, tasting is while supplies last, $15 per person, late arrived call ahead to check availability. ALL Champagne 10%!!

Bourdaire-Gallois Brut Prestige NV 59.99/53.99
The Massif Saint Thierry is a group of undulating hills and forests that slope off toward the vast plain north of Reims and the Vesle River Valley west of Reims. The massif is home to some 900 hectares of vineyards which are spread throughout a dozen or so villages. Due to the challenging climate, it is the late budding Pinot Meunier which is the favored grape type. The soils have a large portion of sandy clays which offer a distinguishing expression to the area’s champagnes. David Bourdaire shares with his parents 8 hectares situated in and around the village of Pouillon. He produces his champagnes from 4 of those 8 hectares. The family began estate bottling their champagnes in 2001 when they left the coop that David’s grandfather founded in 1951. David’s vineyard is comprised of 85% Pinot Meunier, 10% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir. The oldest part of the vineyard was planted in 1923 and the average age of the vines is 43 years. David farms sustainably, cultivating natural grasses between the vine rows and avoiding chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The vineyard is planted on low yielding root stocks and David vinifies each parcel separately according to the specific stock “porte-greffe”. David adjusts the dosage level with each disgorgement, often lowering it as the cuvee spends more time “sur lattes”. Cuvée Prestige is a blend of 40% Pinot Meunier, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir harvested from five different parcels. After a slow and gentle pressing in a traditional Coquard vertical press, the juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks. It undergoes a malolactic fermentation and then rests “sur lattes” for four years. The typical dosage is 6.5g/l to 2.5g/l decreasing according to progressive disgorgements.

Vadin Plateau Renaissance Premier Cru NV 44.99/40.49
Yann Vadin is relatively unknown. While his family has owned their estate since 1785, they have only recently started exporting their wines outside of France. A chance encounter at the champagne fair Des Pieds et Des Vins earlier this year in France introduced us to Yann and the wines of Champagne Vadin-Plateau. The wines are simply stunning natural expressions with fierce minerality and brilliant freshness. It is only a matter of time before Champagne Vadin-Plateau is revered as one of the top grower champagnes. Champagne Vadin-Plateau is located in the heart of the Marne Valley, in the premier cru village of Cumières (near Épernay). Joseph Plateau founded Champagne Vadin-Plateau (first called Maison Plateau) in 1785, making Vadin-Plateau one of the oldest champagne producers. A passion for wine and its cultivation has been transmitted from generation to generation; today, over two centuries later, it continues with Yann Vadin. Yann Vadin practices minimal intervention in the vineyards. Vineyards are plowed by hand and horse. Biodynamic and organic preparations are used; herbicides and pesticides are renounced. In the cellar, Yann has combined tradition with modernity. Wines are vinified with native yeast. All of the wines are neither fined nor filtered. Yann uses a combination of oak barrels, clay eggs and stainless steel for vinification. The clay is used to gain a stronger expression of minerality. After bottling, the wines are aged for two to six years on the lees in the deep cellars underground. They are released to the market after four months from disgorgement. Renaissance is a limited blanc de noirs from Vadin-Plateau’s vineyards in the premier cru village Cumières. It is 100% Pinot Meunier.

Perseval-Farge C de Pinots 1er Cru Brut NV 53.99/48.59
Champagne Perseval-Farge is a 4 hectare estate in the 1er Cru village of Chamery which is in the heart of the Montagne de Reims. The Perseval family traces its roots back to the early 18th century in the village and today it is Benoist and Isabelle Perseval who carry on the tradition. Benoist farms sustainably, what he calls “viticulture integrée” with the commitment of taking care of the land for future generations. The four hectares are planted with 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier. In 2004 a small parcel was planted with Arbanne, Petit Meslier and Fromentot (Pinot Gris). Atypical of Champagne, the Perseval’s four hectares are largely in one single parcel with the greater portion being on the mid to upper slope with calcerous-clay soils and the smaller part on the lower slopes with sandy-clay soils. Besides his commitment to sustainability in the vineyard, Benoist has worked to decrease the use of sulfur in his winemaking and at 26 to 35g per liter, his dose level is below 50% of the norm. the “C. de Pinots” is a blend of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Pinot Meunier. A gentle pressing is done with a vertical press and the juice is vinified 75% in stainless steel vats and 25% in barrels (not new). A third of the wine is put through a malolactic fermentation. It is a blend of three vintages ; 2007, 2006 and 2005. The Champagne rests 48 months “sur lattes” before being disgorged. The dosage is 7g/L.

Lassaigne Vignes Montgeux Blanc de Blanc NV 62.99/56.69
Jacques Lassaigne is a 4.7-hectare family vineyard located in Montgueux. The vineyards boast prime southeastern exposure and consist entirely of Chardonnay. The Montgueux vineyard sites were originally held for the Montrachet of Champagne and are located near the gates of Troyes—the former capital of Champagne. This area is technically part of the Aube department, but is much further north than what people typically think of as the Aube, in the Cote des bars which features wines often primarily made from Pinot Meunier. The terroir in Montgueux is nearly identical to the growing sites found further north in le Mesnil, as they share the same limestone vein —this is exceptional terroir for making great champagne. An intense backbone of acidity is often present in these wines, but since it is located further south than the storied Cotes des blancs, ripening is not as much of an issue. The non-vintage Blanc de Blancs is a blend of nine different vineyard sites & two successive vintages. Emmanuel Lassaigne, Jacques’ son who now runs the vineyard, began working the vines in 1999, and made the bold decision to craft wines from individual parcels. At the time his local neighbors thought of him as a fool and didn’t understand the methods behind his madness. Emmanuel makes all the important decisions regarding the wine virtually alone, and experiments boldly in ways that baffle us with his courageousness, for when he decides to make a change, he isn’t able to fully realize the results of that change for another 3, 4, 5 or even 10 years. The initial tank or barrel fermentations of all Emmanuel’s wine is carried out with only indigenous yeast. He introduces sulfur minimally at pressing to prevent oxidation, and then never adds any sulfur again. Emmanuel disgorges all the bottles by hand himself, a very uncommon practice in Champagne, where machine disgorgement is the norm. He developed this technique so that he wouldn’t have to top up the bottles after disgorgement. 35 year old vines planted on heavy clay and chalk, 100% Chardonnay. he grapes are harvested by hand—from 9 different sites—at their maximum ripeness before being destemmed & gently pressed. The fruit undergoes complete malolactic fermentation & no sulfites are added to the blend. The wine is aged in new & old barrels for 12 to 24 months and held in bottle for 1 to 5 years until it is disgorged, corked & released. Tasting Note: Pale straw in the glass with lovely mineral, dried fruit and citrus zest aromatics that reflect the purest expression of the Montgueux terroir. The palate is vibrantly alive with crisp citrus and melon flavors that are backed by deft acidity & dazzling minerality. The finish resonates with succulent citrus notes. Pairing: A wonderful match to oysters, seafood and shellfish. And of course, by itself.

Colin Cuvée Alliance Brut Champagne NV 48.9/39.99
Women pioneered the COLIN Champagne vineyard, which is now run by Richard and Romain Colin. The passion for vines and wine began with their grandmothers Geneviève Prieur and Marie Louise Radet who both inherited vines from their parents. But the family’s first winegrower dates back to 1829 with Constant Piéton, the great grandfather of Geneviève Prieur, Richard’s and Romain’s maternal grandmother. Most of the 10-hectare estate is planted with Chardonnay – the king of grape varieties on our vineyard – in the prestigious Côte des Blancs in Vertus, Bergères-les-Vertus and Cuis, classified as Premier Cru Champagne and in the Grand Cru villages of Cramant and Oiry. We also grow Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in the village of Sézanne. The rest of the vineyard lies further away in Venteuil in the Marne Valley and in Dormans. This Brut Champagne is a blend of 65% Chardonnay and 35% Pinot Neuter growing the Versus Premier Cru and Sezanne vineyards. With its fine lively foam, floral bouquet, crisp texture and notes of pear and sweet spices, this wine will be greatly appreciated as an aperitif or at any gatherings of friends and family.

Thierry Triolet Brut Rose Champagne NV 44.99/40.49
The Champagne house of Thierry Triolet is located in the village of Bethon. The vineyards in Bethon are part of the Côtes de Sezanne region of Champagne which begins about 20 miles southwest of Epernay and extends southward from the town of Sezanne. Geologically, this narrow band of hills is a continuation of the more massive Côtes des Blancs. Traditionally,the Sezanne vineyards have been a source of excellent Chardonnay grapes for the large negociant Champagne houses to the north. The Rosé Champagne combines a base of Chardonnay with 15% red wine. The red wine is a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. In very ripe vintages, M. Triolet will keep a vat of “Pinot” and allows it to mature in the cellar. The red wine is blended with Chardonnay and the “assemblage” undergoes the second fermentation followed by an extended period “sur lattes”. It is bottled with the “liqueur de triage” , a blend of sugar and yeasts (12 grams sugar), to produce a charming Rosé Champagne