NV Pierre Moncuit, Hugues de Coulmet, Blanc de Blancs, Champagne, France

100% Chardonnay

The Moncuit family can trace their origins as grape growers in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger to the end of the 19th century. Since 1977, sister-brother duo Nicole and Yves Moncuit have shared the responsibilities of managing the estate. Moncuit Champagnes, including the NV bottlings, are always produced from a single vintage. As Nicole Moncuit likes to point out, this practice allows each wine to more precisely express its particular growing season and makes the evolution in the cellar more fascinating to follow as the years unfold. These are quintessential examples of Blanc de Blancs Champagne, with racy, mineral-laden palates, and youthful fruit expressions that makes them wines to enjoy right out of the blocks and for years to come. Champagne Pierre Moncuit is based in the superb Côtes des Blancs village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. While the Moncuit family can trace their origins as grape growers in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger to the last decades of the nineteenth century, it wasn't until the early 1950s that Pierre Moncuit began bottling estate-grown Champagnes. Since 1977, all things related to viticulture and vinification have been under the direction of Pierre's daughter, Nicole Moncuit, while her brother Yves runs the commercial side of the business. A Chardonnay-centric Champagne house: the Hugues de Coulmet Blanc de Blancs Brut NV produced exclusively from holdings in the village of Sézanne. All bottlings undergo a full malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks (there isn't a barrle in the winery) and are then aged 24-36 months sur lattes prior to release.

NV Waris-Larmandier, Racines de Trois, Brut, Champagne, France

60% Chardonnay Côte des Blancs Grand Cru , 30% Pinot Noir Montagne de Reims Premier Cru, 10% Pinot Meunier Côte des Bar

Waris-Larmandier Champagne was founded in 1989 by 5th generation grower, Marie-Hélène Larmandier, and her husband, Vincent Waris. Following Vincent’s passing, Marie-Hélène continued the family business. Next generation, led by eldest-son Jean-Philippe took charge of the vineyards and winemaking in 2009. He immediately began converting his family’s 9ha of old-vine vineyards in 2011, utilizing biodynamic and regenerative farming principles. Waris-Larmandier achieved their biodynamic certification from Demeter in 2020. Today, he is joined by his brother, Pierre-Louis, and sister Inès. Cuvée Racines de Trois represents the “three roots” of Waris-Larmandier: the three siblings, each contributing a unique piece to the artistic vision of this young, dynamic Champagne domaine, their use of three grape varieties (chardonnay, pinot noir, and meunier), coming from three regions of Champagne (Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, and Côte des Bar). Inès designed the distinctive floral labels in tribute to her mother’s famous flower boxes, which beautifully adorn their whitewashed family home in the vineyards at the entrance to the quaint Avize village. Waris-Larmandier owns prime, old-vine vineyards of Grand Cru chardonnay in the Côte des Blancs, and a smaller percentage of pinot noir and pinot meunier vineyards in the Montagne de Reims as well as a few small plots in the Côte des Bar and Aube. Racines de Trois is a certified organic and biodynamic Champagne. The Waris-Larmandier style is terroir-focused, understated, structured, and ultra-elegant. 

NV Villepin, Blanc de Noir, Brut, Champagne, France

90% Pinot Meunier, 10% Pinot Noir

This tiny estate is owned by Bruno de Villepin settled in Champagne in 1999 on the family property, purchased by his great-great-grandfather to the Duchess of Uzès, granddaughter of Veuve Clicquot. 5.25 acres of vineyard. The continuing effort to reduce the environmental footprint of its viticulture practices, a gentle and meticulous oenology, without filtration, and some parceled vinifications since 2008, when he set up his winery. 100% hand harvested and hand made. Their

Blanc de Noirs is a Champagne from a selection of parcels chosen for the quality of their grapes. All parcels are vinified separately, which shows exactly their characteristics. The base wines are aged on fine lees, in vats, for 18 months, before blending. The aging on fine lees of the wines makes it possible to highlight its aromas. The wines are not filtered so that they keep all their material and their complexity, which also gives them a much higher potential of protection and longevity. The wine has a richness and roundness to it, backed with a dry mineral driven finish. It is just a total treat! About 3,000 bottles made.

2014 Jose Michel, Special Club, Champagne, France

50% Pinot Meunier, 50% Chardonnay

Unreal bubbly from a dynamic, small family farm in Champagne. Special Club wines are wholly unique: as part of an elite grower's group they must be the best wines from a particular member in that vintage. José Michel are known for their precise, textured wines made in the village of Moussy. Jose Michel’s Special Club, as Champagne guru Richard Juhlin notes, is alongside Krug as one of the most iconic wines that feature Pinot Meunier. In Jose Michel’s cellars, however, you can see greatness with this grape going back to the 1950s. This Champagne features the domaine's oldest vines, with the Pinot Meunier vines up to a century old and the Chardonnay vines in the 60-year range. The 2014 is fantastic, and it is not a Special Club to miss.

The Club de Viticulteurs is a group of independent Champagne producers who have come together in order to promote the high quality of their work. The José Michel Special Club was chosen by this group as an ambassador of quality and given the right to use the Special Club label and antique bottle. Making it into and staying part of the Special Club is quite rigorous and a mark of quality.

NV Jean Vesselle, Oeil de Perdrix, Champagne, France

100% Pinot Noir

Like a bottling of history: an old style of Champagne, 100% Pinot Noir, macerated for just a short while on the skins for a stunning sparkler with a pale coppery-pink color: "The Eye of the Partridge". The story goes that in 1972, during a renovation of the cellars, Jean uncovered a few bottles hidden inside a wall, in perfect condition. The wine was so intriguing and unique that the domaine resurrected the tradition of l'Oeil de Perdrix. In the glass, the wine is rich and evolved from its 3 years maturation. Red currant and strawberry are backed by toasty pastry flavors. Long and spicy on the finish, but its balance of elegance and power will keep you coming back for more. A total knockout of a wine.

The Vesselle family has been making Champagne for 300 years, from two parcels of Grand Cru soils in the town of Bouzy. Winemaker Delphine Vesselle took over the reins here at a young age after the untimely death of her father Jean in 1996. The estate is small, with a total annual production of only 7,000 cases. All their cuvees combine the energy of small production wines with a fine bead worthy of the top luxury houses. This is a truly special bottle - and its charms cannot be overstated. I sing its praises loudly, as often as possible, and feel the wines are often underrated (and, honestly, underpriced) so it was so great to see the winery selected by Wine & Spirits as one of the Top 100 in the world! Congrats to Delphine!

NV Pascal Doquet, "Anthocyanes" Rosé 1er Cru Brut, Champagne, France

67% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot Noir

With holdings of old vines in some of the greatest terroirs in the Côte des Blancs, Pascal Doquet has emerged over the last decade as one of the premier vignerons in Champagne. After he took over his family estate, Doquet-Jeanmaire, in 1995 when his father retired, Pascal established his eponymous Domaine in 2004. Today he farms just under 9 hectares of vines including prime parcels in Vertus, Le Mont Aimé and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger—including his illustrious old vines in the parcel “Champ d’Aoulettes.” This is a saignée rosé made in an innovative way. The pinot noir comes from a lieu dit in Vertus named “La Barre” and is macerated for 48 hours before pressing. It then goes into barrel for at least one year before it is blended with chardonnay from Mont Aimé and Le Mesnil before bottling. It is beautifully intense in color and character; “anthocyanes” means pigment, after all. Raspberry, cinnamon spice and clove flavors are present in this rather full-bodied rosé Champagne.

PLEASE NOTE

• Purchasers must be 21 years of age or older and be present with an ID upon delivery.

• Price includes 5.50% Maine State sales tax and Maine’s fifteen-cents redemption deposit per bottle.

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• *Delivery is by Wine Wise—not third-party carriers. Our delivery area is Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Saco, Scarborough, South Portland, and Westbrook. We have a larger delivery area for Wine Club deliveries.