Worth the Wait: the Champagne of Louis Brochet

The Brochet family has 32 acres of vines, almost all in the village of Écueil on the Mountain of Reims. They have been growers since 1882, at least, and have the distinction of possessing their own special selection of Pinot Noir, Pinot d’Écueil, which is an old massal selection passed down for generations in their family. Louis Brochet, the current winemaker, is qualified with a diploma of enology, a masters-level education in winemaking. With his learned skill, their special selection of Pinot, and the great terroir of the 1er cru of Écueil, the family is turning out fantastic wines. Since we have been buying direct from them for years, the prices are still super reasonable.

A Walk in the Vineyard with Chantal Gonet

In the middle of last month, I was on the second plane into France for vaccinated Americans with Kate Soto, Clyde and Trey Beffa. It was great to be back on the job in the cellars and tasting rooms of Champagne, but the highlight of the trip, under the June sun, was the time I got to spend in the vineyard. On the last day of the trip, Chantal Gonet of Champagne Philippe Gonet and Champagne Pierre Mineral took me for a visit to the crown jewel of their estate: Les Hauts Jardins.

2013 Cristal: Silky Elegance and Vibrant Refreshment

Of all the Grand Marque producers of Champagne, none are moving as fast at improving quality as Champagne Louis Roederer. This upward trajectory is even more impressive because of the high level that they have always maintained. Last week, tasting the newly released 2013 Louis Roederer “Cristal” Brut Champagne, I realized that Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon has once more found room to go upwards, even in a vintage less famous than the 2012 that proceeded it.

A Perennial Favorite: Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne

I have drunk countless bottles, magnums and even a few halves of the Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs. I am confident that it is the Champagne that I have consumed more of than any other over the course of my life, and I wouldn’t put back a single drop.

A Year in Champagne

2020 will be hard year to forget for many tough reasons that no one looks at our blog to be reminded of. Today I am flipping through last year’s wine notebooks and finding the good memories for my annual Champagne retrospective. I hope that you enjoy taking a look at these 10 memorable Champagne’s from 2020 as much as I have enjoyed remembering them!

LeClerc Briant Legacy Lives On with Roederer

Champagne Liaison Scott Beckerley unearthed a treasure recently from his cellar: a bottle from LeClerc Briant, a beloved producer who sold off their exceptional biodynamic vineyards upon the owner’s passing. Luckily, the vineyards were bought by Roederer, and the superb terroir lives on in their wines.

New Brut Nature from Billecart

Champagne Billecart-Salmon has been making Champagne for over 200 years, and change comes slowly and incrementally to this great house. This year has been revolutionary for Billecart, as they have introduced not one, but two new cuvées, first the Les Rendezvous #1, and now the Billecart-Salmon "Brut Nature" Champagne. If you are a fan of truly dry Champagne or of pairing your bubbles with food, the Brut Nature is not to be missed!

Outstanding Value in Toasty Champagne

After 20 years of buying the Champagne here at K&L, I have to say that I have never seen a year like this one… The good news is, some very good deals have come out of this bizarre situation, and one of the best deals is the small lot of Canard-Duchêne "Charles VII - Grande Cuvée le Victorieux" Brut Champagne that just arrived. The last time we had this, many years ago, we sold it for $49.99, which was a good value. It is now selling for $60 elsewhere, but we were able to grab the last of it and offer it at $39.99.

Iconic Single-Vineyard Krug

Very few wines in the world are as rare, special, and profound as Krug's Clos du Mesnil. Any wine lover should count themselves lucky just to have tasted it once in their lifetime. I felt blessed indeed to drink a bottle of it in my front yard with Cinnamon during this year's endless California Indian summer. Given my previous experience with this wine and the high price, my expectations were very, very high. I was not disappointed.

Ethereal 2008 From Henriot

Vintage Henriot and white truffles, oh my. Gary found a very special wine to go with his birthday truffle straight from Alba and handmade pasta. Though he’d intended to drink the 2008 Henriot as an aperitif, it paired so divinely with his meal that it became the star of the show.

All-Meunier One-Off from Billecart

I have received more calls for the Billecart-Salmon "Le Rendez-Vous" Pinot Meunier Extra Brut #1 Champagne than any other bottling this year. Yesterday, our small allocation of 180 bottles finally arrived. I didn’t waste time—I am just as excited as all of the customers who called and emailed—so I chilled one down and drank it last night. Cinnamon and I had the wine both as an aperitif, and with the excellent Taiwanese food of I-Dumpling here in Redwood City. It was a huge success both ways and “a small bottle”—our code at home for “we liked it so much that we drank it too fast.”

A Feast Fit for a King (Crab) with 2012 Louis Roederer Cristal

Last night, I was treated to an early birthday treat as my friend, Henry, who manages the Fish Market restaurant, called and said that he had fresh king crab for us. Once a year, he gets an allocation aired in from Alaska that has not been frozen, and it is an over-the-top delicacy. We paired it with the most elegant of tête de cuvée Champagnes, the 2012 Louis Roederer “Cristal” Brut Champagne, and I don’t know if my real birthday is going to be able to compete.

K&L Wine Merchants

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