It’s nearly time for the Academy Awards! If you’ve managed to see any of the movies, even those that clock in at under 3½ hours long (thanks for pointing that out, Hugh Grant!), you’ll have seen some very deserving technicians and artists. My favorite thing to have while watching the show is either fried chicken with French fries and a salad (which I use to fool myself into thinking that I’m eating semi-healthily), or Kung Pao chicken, rice, and steamed asparagus with sliced almonds and a clear sauce… No matter what foodstuffs you are planning, there is only one beverage that matches perfectly with this event...Champagne!

Roederer Collection 244 at the Residence de France

This past Thursday I was invited to the residence of the French Consul Général for a showcase of the Villa Albertine, a charity that the Roederer Foundation supports. There I met with Frédéric Rouzaud, the president of Champagne Louis Roederer, and he premiered his Louis Roederer "Collection 244" Brut Champagne, which should be coming to K&L soon.

Back on Our Shelves: Champagne Boulard-Baquaire

This past May I had the chance to drive all the way up to the very top of Champagne to the village of Cormicy. I was there to visit Christophe Boulard at Champagne Boulard-Baquaire, and it had been too long since I had seen him and visited the winery. Now, his wines have just come back in stock, and I would like to share their story with you.

Champagne Dreams Made Possible with Friends

I have the great fortune of belonging to a Champagne tasting group that meets quarterly. Since August 2019, we have been having our get-togethers. Everyone in this group is an absolute Champagne fiend. Luckily, we have never had to suffer through an even slightly mediocre tasting. Yes, a couple of bottles have been corked here and there, but, amazingly it’s only been very, very, few—especially considering that we taste 15-plus bottles per meeting. This last one, a week ago, was another stunner.

Billecart-Salmon’s Clos Saint Hilaire and More

Last week I had the chance to visit one of the most hallowed pieces of ground in the Champagne region, the great Clos Saint Hilaire in Mareuil, at the center of the Billecart-Salmon property there. This vineyard, entirely planted to an old massal selection of Pinot Noir in 1964, makes one of the most profound Blanc de Noirs in the whole appellation. Over the last few years, the Billecart family has put in a huge effort to improve the vineyard, by adding hundreds of different plants along the border of wall, creating bird houses, insect hotels, two small ponds for frogs, and even adding beehives. This new biodynamic approach will encourage ladybugs to eat aphids, birds to eat caterpillars, and, in the end, a healthier vineyard. It is an amazing project to see.

2010 Billecart-Salmon Rosé: The Champagne of 2023

It is only rarely in my career that I have encountered a Champagne as entrancing as the just-released 2010 Billecart-Salmon Rosé.

Champagne for Every Occasion, from Taco Tuesday to Thanksgiving

Champagne Buyer Gary Westby and his team have assembled a lineup of Champagnes that range from everyday values to the height of luxury. No matter the occasion, we have a Champagne to pair with it!

A Mind-Blowing Vertical at Aspasie

Usually, when I arrive in Brouillet, we do an extensive vin clair tasting of the last year’s harvest together. Since there was no 2021 to taste, Paul announced that instead we would do a retrospective of better years… And what a lineup he poured! This tasting was a true career highlight for me—each wine was great, and fabulous proof of the longevity that the great terroir of Brouillet is capable of producing in its wines.

Duménil and Jany Poret: One House, Two Terroirs

Today I drove over to La Petite Montagne to visit Frédérique and Hughes in the village of Sacy. They own 15 acres of vineyard in this village as well as 20 acres in the villages of Chigny-les-Roses, Rilly-la-Montagne, and Ludes. They split their production between Sacy vines, which include the historic Jany Poret name, and the rest, which are just called Duménil to respect the two separate families that became one when they married. All their wines are entirely 1er Cru, stainless-steel-fermented, and of exceptional quality. They have been members of the association “Special Club” since 2010, and, like all the others in this group, are in the top echelon of grower Champagne.

A Whole New World: Virtual Champagne Tasting

Thanks to technology, today we were able to convene and do a virtual tasting, led by our Champagne Guru, Gary Westby. I’m thrilled to be able to taste again as a staff, and Gary’s presentation reminded me how much I love his Champagne program. If you haven’t been down the Champagne aisle in awhile, it’s a great time to take a stroll there—no celebration needed! Any of these bottles would make a day special.

Under-the-Radar Tête de Cuvée from Drappier

Cinnamon and I try to make every Sunday special as it is our one day off together, and this week she treated us to a special Dungeness crab dip for our aperitif. To go with it, I opened perhaps the most “under the radar” of all the great houses’ tête de cuvée bottlings, the 2010 Drappier "Grande Sendrée" Brut Champagne. It was a great reminder of the incredible depth and pleasure that this single-vineyard Champagne has to offer and went fabulously with the crab dip.

The Best and Brightest from Our Champagne Aisle

So many of the wonderful bottles on our shelves are made by wonderful people, and our relationships are the cornerstone of our business. At this time each year, we normally send our Champagne crew out to visit the cellars and taste vin clair in Champagne, gathering intel and great deals to bring to our customers. Alas, times are different, and we are thinking fondly of those folks (whom we also missed seeing at our annual tent event last year). Next best thing: photos and tasting notes and stories about some of our fave Champagne producers.

K&L Wine Merchants

www.klwines.com