Champagne houses like Jeaunaux-Robin are bespoke tailor shops on a street filled with big-name designer boutiques. That’s the appeal of small-scale grower Champagne: even though the designer suit may be beautiful and fit you perfectly, there’s something extra-special about something that was made by hand just for you. That’s certainly the way I feel after tasting Jeaunaux-Robin’s “Éclats de Meulière,” a feeling which only intensifies as I learn more about it. 

Cyril & Clémence Jeaunaux-Robin farm a mere 5.7 hectares of vineyards in Champagne, and I can’t stress enough how minuscule that is: in a region known for wine made on a grand scale, this is veritable backyard-sized enterprise. The farming at Jeaunaux-Robin is en route to being Certified Organic, with many biodynamic practices thrown in as well, and when you consider everything else that goes into Éclats de Meulière (which I’ll get into below) it is impossible to believe that it costs as little as it does. This is custom Champagne at an off-the-rack price—a fresh, layered, Pinot Meunier-driven charmer that just oozes class. To be able to offer up to six bottles per person today isn’t merely a pleasure, it’s an honor. On the “specialness” scale, this one will be hard to top!

Family-run since its founding in 1964, Jeaunaux-Robin is headquartered in the village of Talus-Saint-Prix, in a subzone of Champagne called Val du Petit Morin. Named for the Petit Morin River, a tributary of the Marne, this narrow valley is situated southwest of the Côte des Blancs; there are only about 39 hectares of vines in all Talus-Saint-Prix, most of them on south-facing slopes a good distance from the riverbanks. Nevertheless, the region can be susceptible to frost, which accounts for higher concentrations of the hardier Pinot Meunier variety (60% of this wine’s cépage, followed by 30% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay).

“Éclats de Meulière” translates roughly to “burst of millstone” and references the soil composition of the Jeaunaux-Robin vineyard, which is strewn with pebbles and rich in both flint (silex) and limestone. For this cuvée, hand-harvested fruit is fermented on wild yeasts in a combination of stainless steel vats and large oak foudres (20%), followed by about six months of aging in tank with regular bâtonnage (lees-stirring). Following the secondary fermentation in bottle, the wine aged for 30 months on its lees before disgorgement and a very light dosage (it carries an “Extra Brut” designation, meaning less than six grams/liter of added sugar).

The Pinot Meunier-heavy varietal composition, combined with the Extra Brut level of dryness, makes for fascinating drinking: the wine has a very silky, elegant feel, with a nice layered texture but lots of mouth-watering tanginess on the finish. In the glass, it displays a star-bright straw-gold core with slight coppery highlights, with high-toned aromas of pink lady apple, quince, white cherry, citrus peel, crusty bread, chopped hazelnuts, ginger, and wet stones. It is medium-bodied, with a fine bead and a relatively soft attack. There’s no shortage of freshness, of course, but the wine is harmonious rather than sharp. Serve it at 45-50 degrees in tulip-shaped flutes or all-purpose white wine stems with some of your favorite Thanksgiving appetizers—or the bird itself! It is guaranteed to impress, regardless. Don’t miss it!