The Grower Champagne house, or Récoltant Manipulant, of Saint-Chamant has been owned and operated since the 1930s, although the mile-long labyrinth of wine caves snaking below the surface of their estate date back to the 19-century. The current steward of land and vine is Christian Coquillette who has been handcrafting his artisanal wines from their Grand Cru holdings since 1950. At an age when the majority of older gentlemen have chosen to retire, Monsieur Coquillette continues to meticulously tend to every detail of production down to the incredibly extended sur-lie aging and the hand labeling of bottles. For a unique snapshot of the grand old man in action, stream A Year in Champagne on Netflix.

Plucked from one of the best vintages Champagne has seen, this 100% Chardonnay from Saint-Chamant’s 11.5-hectare Grand Cru vineyard in the Côte de Blancs’ Chouilly village is home to the “Roche Mère.” Roche Mère translates to, “mother rock,” as it is comprised of a massive limestone formation that extends far into the earth and inevitably lends incredible minerality to the wine. This wine received roughly 5 grams of dosage and was aged on its lees until disgorgement in late 2013. The incredibly long period of lees contact coupled with the ideal combination of unique soil and perfect growing season has culminated in a champagne that harmoniously boasts immense concentration of flavor tempered by crisp freshness and focused minerality for one of the most elegantly balanced champagnes on the market. 

This Champagne displays a light straw yellow core with slight green reflections on the rim and fine beading that bubbles through the concentrated liquid. This nectar is incredible both aromatically and on the palate. The exquisite nose boasts aromas of dried lemon zest, yellow apple, freshly baked bread and a layer of fresh cream derived from the extended lees contact. The full-bodied mouthfeel envelopes every inch of the palate and delivers flavors of dried pineapple, lemon zest, fresh yellow apple, rising bread dough and cream that is harmoniously balanced by a focused, mineral-driven finish and crisp acidity. Do not drink this wine below 50 degrees or the fragrant aromatics will be stunted. I also recommend enjoying this champagne in an open mouth flute, Riesling stem or even all-purpose stem as opposed to a tall thin flute, which will completely stifle the complex nose on this wine.