Champagne Lecomte Père & Fils is a true family affair. Gaston Lecomte was the originator of this Champagne house in the late 1850s before passing it on to his son and daughter-in-law, Serge and Suzy, in the 1960s. Serge’s son, Dosythée, and his wife, Ghislaine (who also became the winemaker), took over the farm in 1992, doubling the estate’s sales by expanding production efforts. Finally, today, their two sons, Jérémy and Fréderic, work for the farm doing everything from tending to the vines to selling the wines. From its origination, the estate has remained focused on tradition while also exploring avenues of modernity in order to craft some of the most excellent Champagnes in the area. 

Harvested from the southern slopes of Vinay, this Blanc de Blancs Brut is 100% Chardonnay. With 30% reserve wine from the past several vintages mixed in for enhanced complexity, it aged on the lees for 3 years prior to disgorgement and the addition of a balanced Brut dosage to generate an utterly supple and delightfully round Champagne just exploding with lively energy and a toasty, yet bright expression

It’s as though you’re taking a stroll through a bakery kitchen whipping up some enticing treats when you steal a whiff of this, as it opens with aromas of key lime pie with graham cracker crust and whipped cream topping, along with a hint of toasted marshmallow. The mousse is bouncy on the palate, continuing with a more tart expression of fruit, including lemon zest and Granny Smith apple, and a tang of minerality akin to oyster shell. Its bright acidity helps to shape up this Champagne into something exquisite, remarkably balanced, and all too potable. For the value and resounding quality here, I can’t help but want to scoop up a few of these myself – at the very least a 4-pack for complimentary shipping!