Champagne Copin-Cautel is a seven hectare estate in the village of Vandières, in Champagne’s Vallée de la Marne. The estate focuses on Pinot Noir, but there’s also a bit of Chardonnay and Meunier that grows in the vicinity. Husband-and-wife team, Séverine Cautel and Philippe Copin, run the day-to-day operations and emphasize low-intervention winemaking, allowing the characteristics of their terroir to shine through. The wines are known for depth, fruitiness, and structure, and they practice sustainable viticulture to maintain biodiversity and ensure soil health. You can taste the Champagne’s purity because of their dedicated emphasis on viticulture.

Séverine’s grandparents owned a vine nursery where Philippe’s family bought grapevines, but that’s not how they initially crossed paths. The pair met in secondary school and fell in love soon after, tending Philippe’s family vineyards together. He runs the field and cellar side, while she maintains the marketing and administration end of the business. Together, their hope is to craft small-batch, immeasurably delicious Champagnes characterized by their beautiful terroir, and usage of native yeast and subtle wood, that bring family and friends together for good times and sweet memories. After taking half a bottle just for myself, I’d say that hope is alive and well, dear friends!

This “Elbows on the Table” non-vintage Brut is a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 10% Pinot Meunier with a dosage of 6.4 grams per liter to really accentuate the wine’s fruity essences. Partial malolactic fermentation lends a sultry, creamy aspect to the cuvée, adding depth to an already complex aroma profile of Golden Delicious apples, honeysuckle flowers, and star anise alongside charming, crunchy accents of Wheat Thin crackers and salty sea shells. The palate swerves toward much more tart fruits and linear notes of Meyer lemon and Granny Smith apple with a wonderful, freshly baked brioche character for that perfect infusion of decadence. This is all-around lush and lengthy, with an excellent creaminess that almost melts on the tongue. Pour some with a lunch of toast with cream cheese and garden radish or order up a Waldorf salad, and you’ll be swiftly escorted straight to the meal of your dreams. This is a mightily impressive, limited production grower Champagne from a heartfelt team in a lovely pocket of the Vallée de la Marne – and at 50% off, you’ll be entirely delighted when you make some of it yours!