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Small-Grower Champagnes


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getting into champagne much now adays./ the way of the land is shaping it self and returning its ownership back to the rightful recipients, and contributors,, the GROWERS or "RM" (recolant manipulant),, these guys are the way of the future,, the purists and the activists.

what is your thought.

Billiot Pere & Fils is KILLER, all from Ambonnay

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R. Dumont's vintage 2000 bottling has hit the area courtesy of Ed Addiss of Wine Traditions. It's a huge wine, painful to drink right now, even after extended airing (as long as your decanter is relatively narrow and scrupulously clean, there's no reason not to decant this). Mostly pinot from the Aube, the southernmost department of Champagne, this will evolve, improve, and gain more expressiveness for easily the next 10-15 years.

Oh, and it's on the wine list at the Tabard Inn for $56.

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Are there any wine shops in DC or Virginia that have a good selection of grower champagnes? I have a trip to Reims coming up (Les Crayeres - yay!) and am trying to learn a little more about these hard-to-find wines.

If you have any suggestions for any of the small houses that I should visit while there, that would be great, too. My French is weak, DH is english-only. We have managed to communicate alright on other winery visits in France, but do better if there is some English spoken.

Many thanks.

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Are there any wine shops in DC or Virginia that have a good selection of grower champagnes? I have a trip to Reims coming up (Les Crayeres - yay!) and am trying to learn a little more about these hard-to-find wines.

If you have any suggestions for any of the small houses that I should visit while there, that would be great, too. My French is weak, DH is english-only. We have managed to communicate alright on other winery visits in France, but do better if there is some English spoken.

Many thanks.

Ace Beverage, or Wide World of Wines.
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getting into champagne much now adays./ the way of the land is shaping it self and returning its ownership back to the rightful recipients, and contributors,, the GROWERS or "RM" (recolant manipulant),, these guys are the way of the future,, the purists and the activists.

what is your thought.

Billiot Pere & Fils is KILLER, all from Ambonnay

noob in these waters BUT my son's new girlfriend brought us a non-vintage bottle of Brut Rose from "H. Billiot Fils" for Christmas which we enjoyed Wednesday PM, is this the same grower?

If so--or , I guess, even if not-- it was unbelievably good....

She's a server at Frasca in Boulder so no surprise she knows her stuff.

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noob in these waters BUT my son's new girlfriend brought us a non-vintage bottle of Brut Rose from "H. Billiot Fils" for Christmas which we enjoyed Wednesday PM, is this the same grower?

If so--or , I guess, even if not-- it was unbelievably good....

She's a server at Frasca in Boulder so no surprise she knows her stuff.

That grower is one and the same. Henri Billiot. Lotsa nice red fruit in that baby - yum!

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Pierre Peters Cuvée de Reserve Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Le Mesnil sur Oger this month by the glass at Citronelle.

This is consistently my least favorite RM, I find it rather austere, but I have been wanting to try one of the vintage Pierre Peters, and finally on Monday I had my chance. Astor Wine's in Manhattan sells all three crus of Pierre Peters, so knowing that I was only going to have the chance to drink one bottle while in New York, I picked-up a bottle of the 1999 Millesime. This has to be one of the biggest Champagnes I have ever tasted. It has tons of yeast and toasted brioche on the nose, and it presented ample hazelnut on the palette. If not for the livelihood of the bubbles this wine could easily have been confused with a well aged bottle of Salon. It was in everyway this was the doppelganger of the NV Pierre Peters, and at $54 a bottle an absolute steal.

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This is consistently my least favorite RM, I find it rather austere, but I have been wanting to try one of the vintage Pierre Peters, and finally on Monday I had my chance. Astor Wine's in Manhattan sells all three crus of Pierre Peters, so knowing that I was only going to have the chance to drink one bottle while in New York, I picked-up a bottle of the 1999 Millesime. This has to be one of the biggest Champagnes I have ever tasted. It has tons of yeast and toasted brioche on the nose, and it presented ample hazelnut on the palette. If not for the livelihood of the bubbles this wine could easily have been confused with a well aged bottle of Salon. It was in everyway this was the doppelganger of the NV Pierre Peters, and at $54 a bottle an absolute steal.

Just finishing up this week with Gaston Chiquet "Tradition" and ready to switch to the stunning Agrapart et Fils "Brut de Terroirs" Grand Cru. Stop by!

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Just finishing up this week with Gaston Chiquet "Tradition" and ready to switch to the stunning Agrapart et Fils "Brut de Terroirs" Grand Cru. Stop by!
Funny thing, I am on my last bottle of Gaston Chiquet "Tradition" an amazing champagne especially at that price. I look forward to trying the Agrapart.
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