POP GOES THE CHAMPAGNE!

Did you not see it coming, it’s December and the Wine Spies Champagne Store Takeover is here!!!

Besides this last call on our Grand Cru bargain find of the year (93 points, 36 bucks, hello?) there are bubbly gems galore in the Store today.

All are rare and extraordinary; most are just a few cases. Many a Grand and Premier Crus, with the best prices anywhere guaranteed, the juiciest of deals start at $47 for a great Vintage, all the way to $249 for the ultimate luxury experience that normally should go for $400! Ratings are BIG as usual, almost all in the 95-100 range, naturally. Vintages span across the well-cellared 2002 through the fresh off the boat 2015s. There even are some magnums we’re basically giving away as an App Exclusive, so make sure you leave no stone unturned and hunt your dream bubblies down like there is no tomorrow. They are all here now, and who knows what will remain tonight!

For starters, here’s your essential house bubbly. GRAND CRU Champagne at HALF the price you pay for mediocrity with colorful labels, or your fancy Champagne wannabe sparkling from elsewhere.

Seriously people! If you are not buying this by the caseloads, WE ARE, you’ve been warned. The rollercoaster ride 2023 has been, we all NEED more fine Champagne for less in our lives.

This beauty is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay of first press, or cuvée juice as about 40% of it is from reserve wines of past great vintages. Barbier-Louvet is a grower house that has been under the radar for (only) 6 generations in the heart of Montagne de Reims. While the winery is in the Premier Cru village of Tauxières-Mutry, for Cuvée d’Ensemble they biodynamically farm in Louvois and Bouzy. These two prized ‘Côte de Noir’ Grands Crus like their neighbor Ambonnay, are dominated by Pinot Noir and the assemblage reflects that.

In other words, this ain’t your ‘leftovers from all over’ blend you may land for the same price, its serious stuff, having been recommended by the highly selective Le Guide Hachette des Vins thrice in the recent past. Pretty floral notes and peach blossoms dominate the nose with kisses of roasted nuts, spiced apple, coriander, and a subtle hint of anise. The palate is elegantly fruited, offering very crisp acidity, and an extensive, complex finish with some of the baking spices lingering through. Goes down as easy as the Barbie movie, it took a bottle for us to write you this, you’ll need at least two to see what we mean…

It feels like we discovered an uncharted tropical paradise. It’s such a hidden gem that the only review we could find is by popular blogger The Drunken Cyclist. He must have been sober when he penned it as the descriptors are right on the money.

What else can we say but carpe diem… buy, buy, BUY as much Champagne as you can afford and drink while you can today!

93 Points – The Drunken Cyclist

“The winery is located in Tauxières-Mutry, a Premier Cru village on the Montagne de Reims, but the wine is classified as a Grand Cru, so the fruit comes from the nearby villages of Bouzy and Louvois. Pale to golden straw in the glass with plenty of green apple and fresh brioche. Yum. The palate is fruity, lively, and rich, with a lengthy finish - just delicious from start to finish. Outstanding.”