Charlier et Fils was founded in 1892 by a local cooper named Armand Perrin, three generations later, the Charlier family took over production, adding their own three generations to the estate’s history. And finally, things came full circle in the fourth generation – when the Charlier and Perrin family trees were joined by the marriage of Carole Charlier and Yves Perrin in the late 80s. Their son, Maxime has been at the helm since 2004, farming 15 hectares of vines among six villages – Montigny-Sous-Chatillon, Chatillon-sur-Marne, Oeuilly, Mareuil-le-Port, Jonquery, and Courthiezy. 

Given their location in the Marne Valley, their largest holdings are pinot meunier, but they also grow chardonnay and pinot noir as well. Nearly all of their wines are aged and vinified in large oak barrels, known as "foudres de chêne". This is a bit of a rarity in modern day Champagne, as most houses only do this for their top tête de cuvées  or vintage Champagnes. 

Charlier et Fils has also been a member of the Club des Tresors, or Special Club, since 1971. That’s quite a feat as the Club was started that very same year! Charlier et Fils is one of the OG member producers of the prestigious association – founded to be the epitome of quality for grower-producers in the Champagne region. It is a very exclusive club, as I’m sure you can imagine, with a max of 30 or so rotating members. To become a Special Club wine, the producer has to pass a series of “tests.” The first judging of the wine is at the vin clair stage, or still wine stage. Each judging panel, which is comprised of  wine critics, wine writers, sommeliers and winemakers, judges the wine based on what it can be in the future, its acid levels, fruit profile, etc. If it passes musters unanimously, it moves on to the next stage. After the wine becomes a bubbly beverage and after a few years, it is judged again to see if the finished product merits a designation as a “Special Club” and put into the special wide-bodied green bottle. Yes, the process is rigorous, but you can be assured that all of the wines are of A-1 top quality. Aside from this, Special Club wines are pretty much the best value in Champagne. They are often priced far lower than a Grand Marque’s prestige cuvee, and usually much more scarce in quantity, which makes them extra special. If you’ve never had a Special Club Champagne, THIS is your time to remedy that. I can think of no better way to be introduced than with this excellent, luscious bottling.

This Special Club is extra, well, special, because it also hails from the storied 2008 vintage – the vintage that critics unanimously called one of the best of the entire century. Though it’s got 16 years of age on it, it tastes remarkably fresh, as if bottled yesterday. It’s refined and sophisticated, delicate, but has a kind of weightiness that doesn’t overwhelm or feel out of place. There’s a mineral character that adds dimension to this Champagne and gives it a very distinct sense of place. With a cepage of 70% chardonnay, 15% pinot noir and 15% meunier, the steeliness and linearity of the chard stand out while the citrus notes of the meunier and hints of  red berries of the pinot greet the tongue. The wine is so precise in its flavor profiles that it feels as though it’d be easy to guess what the blend might be, even for a complete novice. It’s truly a remarkable wine. But let’s not forget about the nose, either. There’s a burst of hazelnut that entices. I love this wine so much and know you will too. The price is too good to be true, so it’d be in your best interest to buy a few bottles before I buy all of them. If I could drink a bottle of this every day – Sir Winston Churchill-style – I’d be a happy camper. Cin cin!