Remi and Jean-René Brice are the 12th generation of grape growers here in Bouzy on the eastern edge of Champagne. They collectively farm 12 hectares of vineyards, including eight hectares of Grand Cru plots within Bouzy – and only one of which is dedicated to chardonnay. Just around the time that the very first bottles of Champagne were vinified, the Brices appeared as the lead family amongst only about 10 others in the registry of the Parish of Bouzy – all the way back in 1964. At the time, the commune consisted of about 30 inhabitants, with only about 50 hectares planted in the entire area (there are some 380+ hectares planted today). With each new generation, a re-invigorated commitment to the lands, cellar, and quality of the cuvées has been fashioned – making for an extremely solid foundation that has made Champagne Brice one of the great, small production houses in Bouzy today. The most recent generation is finishing a transition to organic farming, and the vineyards have never been healthier. Consulting oenologist and viticulturist Christophe Constant, formerly of J.-L. Vergnon and the legendary Paul Bara house, now guides the winemaking at Brice, making a near-immediate impact on the wines’ quality.

This 100% chardonnay sees fermentation and elevage entirely in stainless steel, without any malolactic fermentation. The wine is then blended with 20% of the family’s reserve wine (stored in 228-liter French oak barrels) before aging on the lees for 24 months. A crisp 3 g/l dosage is added right before corking, and this baby is ready to rock!

The wine leads with rich, toasty aromas of the reserve wine, followed by honeyed apricots, river rocks, pine resin, and iodine – surrounded throughout by a core of crisp pears and green apples. Dry and bracing on the finish, with a lip-smacking, pervasive acidity that drives your salivary glands joyfully onward to their next rejuvenating sip. This is a food-lovers Champagne, no question, with that elusive combination of textural richness, ripe fruit character, and intense acidity. This is a great one to drink now with the right meal, but if you share my inclination to age your Champagnes for a few years “on the cork” – this is the perfect wine to do so with. Grab a handful and try out a bit of both, I say…Champagne at this price, for this quality is always the right deal to go big on!