REGION: Champagne Cote des Blancs
Champagne Guy Larmandier is located in the village of Vertus at the southern base of the Cote des Blancs. This estate owns 9 hectares of vineyards, all located within the Cote des Blancs and distributed amongst the Grand Cru rated villages of Chouilly and Cramant and the 1er Crus of Vertus and Cuis.
Located in Grand Cru village of Oger, Quentin Vincey returned to his family domaine in 2014. They met in Champagne and Marine joined Quentin in 2018, after working in communications. They are young and ambitious, but understand the scale of time that it takes to create an exceptional domaine.
“[Doyard] numbers among my favorite addresses on the Côte de Blancs, and the Doyard family’s vinous, incisive Champagnes deserve a place in any well-stocked cellar. Deep, concentrated and characterful, everything that bears the Doyard label is well worth serious attention.”-William Kelley, WA
Champagne Girard-Bonnet is a new estate, located in the Grand Cru village of Les Mesnil sur-Oger, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs. Owned by Paul Girard, a young and passionate vigneron (born 1995) connecting his father's holdings in Les Mesnil, and his mother's holdings in Oger.
Didier Vergnon and his dynamic son Clément are the 4th and 5th generations to lead this small 5 hectare estate in the Grand cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. From top sites in Le Mesnil, this is a compelling lineup of classically chiseled wines with a vinousity and transparency in every cuvée.
Philippe and Véronique Glavier manage this small (4.5Ha) estate in the village of Cramant in the Côtes des Blancs. Founded in 1995, this husband and wife team are crafting excellent, classically styled Champagnes from Chardonnay grown on chalk heavy, Grand Cru terroir.
Didier Gimonnet is the second generation of growers to run this northern Côte de Blancs estate, though the family history of grape growing in the region extends back to the 1750s! 70% of their vines are over 30 years old, with the oldest planted in 1911. Their chiseled, zippy, and refreshing Champagnes are benchmark blanc de blancs.
Rodolphe Péters is the 4th-gen vigneron to lead this top estate in Le-Mesnil. From only Grand Crus Rodolphe crafts sleek and elegant champagnes, extremely mineral but never austere. Be it his top single vineyard wines or the blended Cuvée de Réserve, these are some of the finest wines anywhere.
Valérie Varnier has taken over the mantle at this estate after the death of her husband Denis Varnier. The estate is small but formidable. With four hectares of vines, averaging 45 years of age, in Avize, Oger, Oiry and Cramant, this estate has been producing outstanding wines for the last 30 years.