I have noted before that there are two types of Champagne producers in France—those that grow their own fruit, harvest, ferment and age the wines for their own production—Récoltant-Manipulant, aka “grower Champagne”—and those that purchase fruit from growers to make their wines, Négociant-Manipulant. While both types of producers make celebrated bottlings, my heart really belongs to the small growers. One such small grower with intense devotion is Francis Egly, a fourth generation winemaker whose attention to detail in the vineyards and strict regime in the cellar have produced some of the world’s most astounding expressions of Champagne. These sparkling beauties have garnered an endless number of accolades and attention from critics in every corner of the world—so much so, that the wines have a devoted cult following. If you love Champagne, you must try this, and then you will understand why.

Francis Egly works his vines and makes his Champagne as if it were an art, and in fact, it is. The way he tends to his vineyards, which are all planted in Grand Cru classified villages (except for his Vrigny vineyards, which are Premier Cru), is remarkable. He uses organic fertilizers, attempts to plough rather than use herbicides, and controls his yields for concentrated fruit. The vineyards that produce the grapes for this Brut Rosé are located in the Grand Crus of Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay—all situated in the subregion of the Montagne de Reims. Unlike other grower Champagne producers, he harvests the grapes at a slightly riper point than most producers do; while others fear that they will lose the acidity in doing this, he has proved that the slightly riper harvest of low-yielding old vines can create luscious bubbles with intensely concentrated flavors that seemingly linger forever. He is a true artisan in the world of Champagne, with admirable dedication that shows in every sip.