You may already be familiar with Champagne Gallimard – they happen to be a long-standing favorite here at Last Bubbles HQ that we’ve shared and sipped on for many years. Well, this estate is headed up by Laura Dechannes of the highly respected Dechannes family – who just so happens to be Arnaud Gallimard’s wife. She serves as assistant winemaker, under her father, Christophe, in addition to wearing the myriad hats of sales rep, admin, and generally cool-as-all-get-out hostess with the most-est.

Truth is, we love an underdog here at Last Bubbles, and for far too long, the Côte des Bar area of the Aube has long played second fiddle to the rest of the Champagne region. Courageous producers like the Gallimard and Dechannes families have helped to elevate it, thrusting it into the spotlight and crafting bubbly as good as any other mainstay in Champagne. At a price like this, with a score like this has…it is all simply too impressive to ignore! Laura Dechannes and her family are known for their stellar lineup of wines and their leadership in the Côte des Bar area, bringing attention to the fabulous but completely underrated village of Les Riceys. Les Riceys has the distinction of being the only village (of the 319 in Champagne) that includes all three of the region’s AOCs: Champagne, Rosé des Riceys, and Coteaux Champenois. Pinot noir dominates, though there is a smattering of meunier and chardonnay for good measure. 

Located in the Aube of Champagne, Les Riceys is the most southerly of Champagne’s growing districts. It is so far south that it just about meets up with Burgundy. It even shares the same soil type as parts of Burgundy: Kimmeridgian, a mixture of limestone, clay, and marine fossils. For many years, the Côte des Bar fought (quite literally) for inclusion in Champagne’s territories, and in 1927, the area got its wish, becoming the fifth growing district of the Champagne-Ardennes area, after the Montagne de Reims, Vallee de Marne, Côte des Blancs, and Côte de Sézanne. It also happens to be the largest winemaking village in all of Champagne since it comprises three formerly fortified villages: Les Ricey-Bas, Les Riceys-Haut, and Les Riceys-Haute-Rive. But even though it’s the largest area in all of Champagne, wines from this village are rather rare. 

This Tradition cuveé is 100% pinot noir with 60% coming from the 2021 vintage in the family’s holdings surrounding Les Riceys, and 40% from the family’s perpetual reserve. The wine shows a fleshy richness and elegant opulence – with a preponderance of strawberry, raspberry, cherry, and lime leaf sensations. A creamy, citrus accent – not unlike an old-school creamsicle from the local drug store – follows on the palate, with a conclusion that tightens up considerably, with flecks of minerality and a solid, rocky finish. It’s a sternly crowd-pleasing style of bubbly, with loads of depth and balance throughout the flavor profile. The 8 grams of dosage provides a fullness of ripe fruit, while a relatively short aging period on the lees grants it a delicate youthfulness and freshness. If you can, I’d urge you to procure at least a 6-pack of this 95 point stunner! I can assure you, it’s well worth it!