This 100% Pinot Noir bottling comes from a prized lieu-dit in the Grand Cru village of Verzenay, and for those who snagged the first Pehu-Simonet, this is an entirely different sensory experience. Thanks to organically farmed Grand Cru Pinot, French oak vinification, and 6+ years of cellar aging before disgorgement, this 2012 “N°1” comes at you in electrifying, multi-dimensional waves and floods your palate with a long-lasting mineral imprint. In other words, you won’t be forgetting this exceedingly rare Grand Cru Champagne anytime soon. Besides, it hails from the soon-to-be-legendary 2012 vintage (seriously, it’s that good) and with such a microscopic production, it’s value will only keep rising. For the uninitiated, Pehu-Simonet is a name that’s been making major global noise over the last decade, largely because they farm organically, only bottle Grand Cru juice, and focus on site-specificity, as made apparent by their “Fins Lieux” luxury lineup.

 This Grand Cru Pinot needs to breathe! An all-purpose stem is ideal here, but you can certainly experiment with Burgundy stems too. Secondly, keep the drinking temperature around 50-55 degrees, and thirdly, try to extend your bottle as long as possible. Over the course of dinner, it changed so much for me, and, frankly, I was a bit upset that I didn’t save any for the following day. That’s the power of the 2012 vintage and a perfectly sculpted Champagne. In the glass, it unfurls with compact beads that race up and burst with aromas of plum, red apple skin, redcurrant, Rainier cherry, apricot, crushed chalk, damp red flowers, and a touch of vanilla. On the palate, the thundering intensity of Grand Cru Verzenay is on full display: The Pinot Noir releases dense, highly energized red fruit that melds with a fierce backbone of crushed minerals and laser-beam acidity. Again, the more air this gets, the more it opens up its arms and invites you in. And the aging potential on this? Off the charts!