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Les Caves doesn’t do Champagne and Burgundy tastings until they do. And so it came to pass with our inaugural punt into these regions on Monday October 13th at London’s Wild By Tart. This tasting arose out of our desire to exhibit our increasing portfolio of small champagne producers, that region where we have hitherto been a very poor relation. Now we are very confident about the quality of these artisan vignerons from Champagne and wanted to show also the sheer variety of styles, connected by the fact these guys are not just making bubbles qua bubbles, they are making gastronomic wines.

A little word about dosage. Only one of the wines listed below has a dosage of above 4g/l, in other words, all the others are either extra brut or brut nature. To be able to achieve this, you require excellent ripe grapes, otherwise the champagne will taste acidic. Although conventional champagne is largely based on blending to a house style, it is instructive to taste wines that are vinified by parcel or where the grape variety takes centre stage (Taillet for Meunier; Vauversin for Chardonnay; Marie-Courtin for Pinot Noir) and we can sense clearly the origin of the grapes.

Maxime Blin, Trigny

The 12-hectares of vines are exclusively planted in the village of Trigny, making the champagnes from the estate ‘mono-crus’ or single-village wines, very rare in the Champagne region. They became ‘vignerons independents’ in 1988 under the impetus of Gilles, Maxime’s father. Maxime returned to the estate in 2005, followed by his wife Claire in 2013. They opted to go down the organic route in 2018, and the vineyard has been certified organic since 2021 with first organic wine arriving in 2022. Dosage is low – around extra brut level, and the entry level Carte Blanche is bottled Brut Nature.

NV Carte Blanche Brut Nature ~ 80% Pinot Meunier, 20% Pinot Noir

NV Grande Tradition Extra Brut ~ 90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir

2012 Ailes de Psyché Extra Brut ~ 100% Pinot Noir

Jean-Paul Deville, Verzenay

Founded in 1969, Jean-Paul Deville is a family owned and run estate in Champagne. They own most of their vineyards (around 20 hectares) but buy in a small amount of grapes from growers under contract. Their vineyards are situated throughout the Champagne region with some in the Cotes des Blancs (Chardonnay vines on limestone and chalk) whilst the Pinot Noir vines are on clay-limestone. The wines are now made by Marie-Alice Deville, and the vineyards are farmed organically (with certification).

NV Carte Noire Brut  ~ 75% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Meunier

Hugues Godmé, Verzenay & Verzy

Hugues is the fifth generation to grow champagne in Verzenay. He has provided 40 years of technical knowledge necessary for the management of the vineyards and the development of their wines. He owns 11 hectares, 40 plots of vines spread over four villages of the Montagne de Reims: Verzenay, Verzy, Villers-Marmery and Villedommange . Since 2006, they began farming organically (certified in 2013) then biodynamically (certified in 2014). For Godmé, top-quality vineyard work is of utmost importance for later quality in the glass. “When I see the grapes hanging on the vine, I already know how the champagne will taste later.” This philosophy allows Godmé to produce Champagnes expressing the subtlety and strength of the terroirs of which they are from. The non-vintage wines have around 50% reserve wine to bolster them. The vintage wines (Les Champs St Martin & Les Alouettes Saint Bets 1er cru) are aged for 96 months sur lattes – and are sensationally profound.

NV Les Terres Unions Brut Nature ~ 1/3 each Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Meunier

NV Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Brut Nature ~ 100% Pinot Noir

2013 Les Champs Martin Grand Cru Brut Nature ~ 100% Pinot Noir

2012 Les Alouettes St Bets 1er Cru Brut Nature ~ 100% Chardonnay

2018 Rose de Maceration Brut Nature ~ 100% Pinot Noir

Maurice Delabaye, Damery

For five generations, the Delabaye family has cultivated vines with dedication and deep respect for the Champagne tradition. Their 10-hectare estate is located in the heart of the Marne Valley, near Épernay, and extends across 10 villages, including parcels classified as Grand Cru and Premier Cru. The estate grows the three classic Champagne grape varieties (Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay) each selected for its unique role in expressing the region’s character. All grapes are pressed on-site, allowing full control over the vinification process. With meticulous blending and time-honoured methods, Delabaye crafts wines that capture the essence of their terroir. Each cuvée is aged in deep cellars at a constant 10°C, where time and silence shape the house’s elegant and distinctive style. All the wines are extra brut or zero dosage.

NV Promesse Extra Brut ~ Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay

NV Prestige 1er cru Brut Nature ~ Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay

NV Blanc de Blanc 1er cru Brut Nature ~ 100% Chardonnay

NV Grand Cru Brut Nature ~ 90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay

NV Rosé Premier Cru Brut Nature ~ 90% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier

Eric Taillet, Baslieux-sous-Châtillon

Based in Baslieux-sous-Châtillon in the Belval Valley, the domaine is composed of 6 hectares of Meunier for the most part (82%), a little bit of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and some forgotten varieties like Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier and Arbane. Eric jokes he was baptised in Champagne and that he became a winemaker as a result. Founded in 1956, Champagne Taillet marketed its first bottled in 1961. Eric (fourth generation) took over the domaine in 1995 with modern and sustainable ideas while using a lot of manual work. His winemaking philosophy is a little different from what is usually done in the area. He is inspired by a certain phrase “Meunier, tu dors” (meunier, you sleep) meaning you must leave it alone. The less one intervenes, the better it will express itself. Most of their cuvees are made from Meunier only. Today, Eric works alongside his children Dylan and Léna Taillet. Progressive organic and biodynamic work in the vines assists healthy grape production and low intervention winemaking carries on the good work. Dosage is low, ranging from 1 g/.l to 2.5 g/l.

NV Egali’T Brut ~ 95% Meunier, 2.5% each Chardonnay & Pinot Noir

NV Exclusivi’T Extra Brut ~ 100% Meunier

2019 Bansionensi Extra Brut ~ 100% Meunier

Laurent Vauversin, Oger, Côtes des Blancs

Maison Vauversin, currently managed by Laurent Vauversin and his father Bruno, has existed since the 17th century. In 1640, Nicolas de Vauversin was the first to plant vines in the little village of Oger (near the town of Épernay), on the Côtes des Blancs. Fifteen generations succeeded him. In 1930, Bruno’s grandfather Fernand Vauversin, became a pioneer: he stopped selling his grapes to local merchants and decided to commercialize his own champagne.

Laurent loves his vineyard above all, not as a production site but as a complete ecosystem he needs to protect, with its rhythm, its biodiversity, its soul… The entire estate was consequently switched to organic winemaking in 2011. He wants to create the best possible and most sensible transition, between preserving centuries of experience and new, contemporary impulses and visions.

The winery received certification in 2014, making it the first organic house in Oger. Biodiversity in the vineyard has been particularly important to Vauversin. The vineyard plots are enriched with diversified seedlings (cereals, legumes, flowers, etc.), more perennial plantations of aromatics (lavender, rosemary, sage, etc.) and various different types of tree. Laurent believes that when a positive energy is cultivated in the soil and the vines, it is carried over to the people who enjoy his champagnes.

All champagnes are vinified with native yeasts at ambient temperatures and are not filtered. They contain very little sulphur (less than 35mg/l). The riddling takes place by hand in the natural cellar. All the wines are extra brut; some are zero dosage. Beautiful expressions of the chalky soils of the Côtes des Blancs, capable of long-ageing whilst being delicate and even ethereal.

NV Original Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut – 100% Chardonnay 

NV Orpair Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut – 100% Chardonnay

2020 Les Crayères Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Nature ~ 100% Chardonnay

2019 Rossignol Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Nature  ~ 100% Chardonnay

Thomas De Marne, Domaine des Cotannes, Ville-sur-Arce, Côte des Bar

Champagne Thomas de Marne, a small family-run organic estate and successor to Champagne Val Frison, is nestled in the south of Champagne Ardenne, in the renowned Côte des Bar region. Valérie Frison took over her family’s vines in the village of Ville-sur-Arce in 1997, initially selling the grapes to the local cooperative. Together with her then husband, Thierry de Marne, she began converting her vineyards to organic viticulture in 2003, and in 2007, the first vintage eligible for organic certification, they began to make small quantities of their own champagne. In 2018, her son Thomas de Marne and his partner Florie Pilares returned to begin the process of taking over the estate. By the 2020 harvest, they had taken full control. Their goal is to produce wines with as close to zero additions (sulphur, sugar, enzymes, etc.) as possible. Here, their passion for organic viticulture is reflected in every bottle of champagne they produce. The wines made from grapes grown on Kimmeridgean clay are rich and intense (Pinot Noir is their speciality) and all are bottled brut nature (i.e. without dosage). These are mainly single vintage wines; all aged in Burgundian oak barrels with a limited period sur lattes.

NV Goustan Brut Nature ~ 100% Pinot Noir

NV Lalore Brut Nature ~ 100% Chardonnay

NV Holistique Brut Nature ~ 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay

Maurice Choppin, Damery

Located in Damery, just a few kilometres from Épernay, Maison Maurice Choppin has been working the unique terroirs of the Marne Valley for more than 7 generations. Proud of his family heritage and his humble approach to living things, Benjamin Choppin makes natural and distinctive wines that are powerful, well rounded and balanced. Inspired by the “Belle Champagne”, he values its exceptional heritage and shines the light on the work of the winemaker. Chardonnay thrives here on the calcareous soils, and the wines are all bottled extra brut (around 3 g/l).

NV Les Arpents Extra Brut ~ 85% Pinot Meunier, 10% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Noir

NV Les Mi-Cotes Extra Brut ~ 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Meunier

2018 Damery Extra Brut  ~80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier

2017 Epinette de Champagne Extra Brut ~ 100% Chardonnay

Marie-Courtin, Polisot, Côte des Bar

Dominique Moreau was born and bought up in the champagne region. She explains that there, everyone had a piece of land and also vines- it was the norm. Her great-grandmother, Marie Courtin, farmed her land herself, using a horse during the First World War while the menfolk were away on the front. Dominique’s estate is located on land that has always been owned by her family, but they had rented it out to tenant farmers. From the age of eighteen years-old she was working on the land amongst vines. She worked part-time as a teacher in a professional viticulture school and spent the hours when she was not teaching, farming vines. She took over the family estate in 2000 when the previous tenant farmers retired. She began converting her vines to organic farming in 2005. Pinot Noir flourishes on the Kimmeridgean marls, although she has some Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc also. Most of the wines are brut nature and v little added sulphites – Concordance is zero added. The wines are named after emotions and energies.

 

202o Blanc de Blancs Presence Extra Brut ~ 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Blanc

2020 Blanc de Noirs Amphora Extra Brut ~ 100% Pinot Noir

2020 Blanc de Blanc Eloquence Extra Brut ~ 100% Chardonnay

2017 Efflorescence Extra Brut ~ 100% Pinot Noir

2017 Concordance Extra Brut ~ 100% Pinot Noir

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Interested in finding out more about the wines mentioned? Contact us directly:

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