We put a lot of work into every offer, so it’s reasonable to assume that a four-pack would quadruple our process, but when it comes to Champagne—a luxury category which we hold very close to our hearts—that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. Because we offer you a steady stream of top-flight Champagne throughout the year, this four-pack had to do more than bring the heat. It had to shatter your expectations without putting a major dent in your wallet.
First, we wanted every bottle to be of Premier Cru and Grand Cru level. Then, we wanted to mix in some of our all-time favorite grower-producers like André Clouet and Pierre Paillard. From here, we wanted to provide you with different styles (e.g. a decade-old vintage bottling and a Blanc de Blancs from legendary Grand Cru Cramant) so each bottle you opened would deliver a singularly powerful, deliciously unique expression of this storied region. And, all four bottles, mind you, had to come in under $200! So, without further ado, here are the standout selections for your 2019 end-of-the-year holiday needs. Enjoy!
[NOTE: All orders are guaranteed to arrive at your door before Christmas if ordered by Dec. 12 and New Year's Eve if ordered by Dec. 17.]
André Clouet, “No. 3” Grand Cru Rosé
Be it your first time or tenth, you can be 100% certain that every single release of today’s Champagne will be a powerful, etched-from-chalk Grand Cru of seriously delicious proportions. Accordingly, André Clouet has become somewhat of a favorite child to us—for five years running, it has been our unrivaled value-for-dollar Champagne benchmark. In the past, we could have offered this whenever we wanted, but the times have changed: The world has caught wind of these spectacular wines and put a severe bottleneck on our allocations. Predominantly one vintage with a blend of older reserve wines, this Grand Cru Rosé aged for over three years in bottle and was topped off with a light dosage that included 8% still Bouzy Pinot Noir to achieve its trademark salmon color. If there are still people out there who are purposely neglecting this jaw-dropping bottle of rosé, I’m afraid there’s nothing more we can do.
Pierre Paillard, Parcelles Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs
When it comes to depth, purity, and terroir expression, Pierre Paillard’s “Les Parcelles” continuously blows the competition out of the water: it packs in everything one could possibly want in Grand Cru Champagne. That, of course, isn’t by mistake: The Paillards are well-entrenched here, having farmed vines and crafted wine since the 1700s, and their “Les Parcelles” has the specs, quality, and critical buzz to command any price it wants. It is a blend of family-owned Bouzy parcels and vintages—predominately 2014, but dating as far back as 2004—that ages for many years in their centuries-old chalk cellar. There isn’t one person in the world who wouldn’t agree this bottle is an impeccably crafted, Pinot Noir-driven Champagne from an elite grower-producer. It immediately stuns with deep red-fruited allure and pulverized chalk, but additional layers of sublime flavor are revealed once the first wave of carbonation disappears. Translation: If you open this on NYE and stumble upon it the next day, you’re in great shape!
Lancelot-Royer, “Cuvée des Chevaliers” Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs
Champagne enthusiasts have come to associate the village of Cramant with some of the best Chardonnay in Champagne and, by extension, the world. Michel Chauvet of Lancelot-Royer doesn’t take it for granted, either: Essentially a Champagne whisperer, he’s spent his entire life dedicated to the rigors of hand-craftsmanship from harvest to riddling to disgorgement. And despite such a limited annual production, he offers his five-years-aged, Grand Cru Cramant “Cuvée des Chevaliers” for a mind-boggling price. It’s a powerfully chiseled Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) Champagne that erupts with mineral power and luxurious yellow-white fruits. Bonus tip: It can also sneakily age with the best of them!
François Lecompte, 1er Cru Millésime 2009
Having been devout followers of Lecompte over the years, we’ve held their flag as high as possible because these low-dollar, world-class Champagnes deserve the grand stage. They consistently compete for the market’s greatest vintage-dated value because they are (1) meticulously farmed, (2) hand-crafted with 100% Premier Cru fruit, and (3) aged for an exceptionally long time in the cellar. Seven years pass before their vintage wine hits the market, and today’s 2009 has enjoyed a couple of extra years in bottle post-disgorgement. Factor in their signature blend of 40% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir and Meunier from the esteemed 1er Cru village of Rilly-la-Montagne and you get generously creamy layers of brioche and ripe fruit. You couldn’t want anything more from a decade-old Champagne.
