The story starts in 1932, when the Doré family had been farming and making small amounts of wine from their 4-hectare vineyard…but in 2014, when Gérard Doré couldn’t sustain that life any longer, he asked his friend and neighbor, Jean-Guy Monmarthe – a sixth generation winemaker in his own right – to take over the reins and keep the family’s Champagne house running. The rest is history! We discovered this in Paris over a year back, revisited time and time again at the winery this past November (along with a mountain of delectably cheesy gougeres), and now…the chance is yours! 

In the Premier Cru village of Ludes, on the northern slopes of the Montagne de Reims, and just a few hundred yards to the east of Chigny-Les-Roses, you’ll find the Maison Doré. There, in hand-chiseled caves underground, this micro-grower and producer only makes three different wines:  a blanc de blancs, a rosé and this Cuvée Origine – made with a cepage of 40% chardonnay, 30% pinot noir, and 30% pinot meunier. In the northernmost portion of the Montagne de Reims – where pinot reigns supreme – it is unique to find a house that has the majority of its portfolio based on chardonnay, but when you’re talking just four hectares of fruit, I suppose you can do what you like without ruffling too many feathers!

This wine is composed of three consecutive vintages that are blended and aged for four years on the lees in their underground caves. The vineyards are broken up into fifteen different plots, mostly on a north/north-easterly exposure. The soils are layered with clay and limestone atop an ancient marl base, all tucked up to the verdant green shelf of the forested lands of the Montagne de Reims. This is a cool spot, and a tiny producer that you simply don’t find anywhere! We’re so excited to offer it at 35% below the suggested retail – a total find if you ask me! Get at it!

This gorgeous bubbly blossoms with aromas of limestones and flint, along with wisps of fresh honeydew melon. The first impression is lean and mineral-driven, but time on the palate brings forward bright and crisp flavors of lemon curd, tarragon, ground cherries, and lychees – culminating in a round and spicy finish of Szechuan peppercorns and marzipan. Intense, and elegant, with a gratifying balance of complexity and freshness. I love this wine. Just a cool spot, and a tiny producer that you simply don’t find anywhere! We’re so excited to offer it at 35% below the suggested retail…because who wouldn’t want more bragging rights via great, off-the-radar Grower Champagne, eh? Get after it!