BC Collector - Grower Champagne

TRIALTO | January 19th 2023

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Grower Champagne

No wine symbolizes celebration like Champagne. And for decades - in fact centuries - 'Champagne' has immediately evoked the luxury brand image of an exclusive group of long-established 'Grandes Marques', for true connoisseurs things have changed.

While the Grandes Marques admirably maintain their reputation for consistency and reliability in association with production on a grand scale, one of the most exhilarating new developments in the world of wine is the emergence of small (sometimes very small) independent Champagne growers who are dedicated to producing terroir-expressive wines from their own small vineyards. Of course it doesn't hurt that many of the 'small vineyards' in question are superbly situated family plots that have been lovingly farmed for many generations, including some of the finest Grands Crus in all of Champagne. Suddenly we are blessed with a diverse array of distinctive wines that would have seemed too much to hope for a generation ago.

Today’s offer has a wine for nearly any champagne lover, covering a diverse array of styles.

About HENRI BILLIOT

The H Billiot estate is comprised of 5 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards spread across 18 different mid-slope parcels of limestone in Ambonnay. Upon release, the wines are snapped up by in-the-know wine enthusiasts seeking 100% Grand Cru fizz at an entry-level price.

HENRI BILLIOT
Brut Rosé

Champagne, France

189381 | 6x750ml | Spec

$85.81*
* Suggested retail price

- 93 Points -

Wine Spectator, October 2021

Rich and mouthwatering, with fragrant grilled nut and lime blossom on the nose layered with notes of pureed raspberry, kumquat, ground cardamom and graphite. There's opulence here, but it's well-checked and balanced by a firm spine of acidity and a salty streak of mineral that shows on the finish.


	HENRI BILLIOT Grand Cru Brut Réserve 525436 \| 6x750ml \| Spec $79.30* * Suggested retail price
			92 WS


	HENRI BILLIOT Grand cru Brut Cuvee Laetitia 415836 \| 6x750ml \| Spec 2 case(s) available $139.10* * Suggested retail price
			94 VIN

About PIERRE GIMONNET & FILS

The Gimonnet family has been growing vines in Champagne since 1750. In 1935 Pierre Gimonnet, grandfather of current owners Didier and Olivier, began producing champagne in the village of Cuis. Didier takes a great deal of pride in the fact that he blends his Grand Cru fruit with the 1er Cru wine from Cuis, making truly great wine available at a reasonable price. They produce quintessential Blanc de Blancs. The wines are beautiful!


	PIERRE GIMONNET & FILS Special Club Brut 'Grand Terroirs de Chardonnay' 2015 211412 \| 6x750ml \| Spec $140.44* * Suggested retail price


	PIERRE GIMONNET & FILS Special Club Le Chouilly Grand Cru Millésimé 2015 475999 \| 6x750ml \| Spec $178.13* * Suggested retail price


	PIERRE GIMONNET & FILS Brut Rosé de Blanc 778753 \| 6x750ml \| Spec $91.03* * Suggested retail price
			91 VIN


	PIERRE GIMONNET & FILS Brut Cuis 1er Cru 356675 \| 6x750ml \| Spec 5 case(s) available $80.64* * Suggested retail price
			91 VIN

About VARNIER-FANNIERE

Varnier-Fannière's Champagnes are archetypal examples of grower Champagne. The wines are distinctly individual, precise, and clean. Winemaking is artisanal and old-fashioned, including full malolactic fermentations and the back-straining operation of an old Coquard press. Interestingly, the wines are bottled at about 10-15% less pressure than most producers. Denis loves the vinous quality that this practice lends to the finished wines.

VARNIER-FANNIERE
St. Denis Brut Grand cru

Champagne, France

180968 | 6x750ml | CDK

$80.99*
* Suggested retail price

The nose is a bouquet of aromas that has evolved over 5 years of in cellar aging. On the nose, there are layers of white flowers, hint of lychees, and dried fruit which are typical of great Chardonnays. The maturity is notable on the palate in the form of toasted hazelnut, pastries, and a well-marked mineral finish.