Last time we had some of this, we sold out in record time…so when the opportunity arose to get our hands on some more, it was a no-brainer. David Pehu is the fourth generation of his family to produce estate-bottled champagnes, and in his house, you can see old Veuve Pehu labels from the early 20th century. His grandfather sold champagne under the Antonin Pehu label, and in the early 1970s, his parents created Pehu-Simonet, with the introduction of vines from his mother’s side of the family. David has been involved in production since 1988, and at the helm since 1995. Of Pehu-Simonet’s 7.5 hectares of vines, six are in Grand Cru villages. In addition to 3.5 hectares of vines in Verzenay, Pehu has holdings in Verzy, Sillery, Mailly, and Bouzy in the Montagne de Reims, as well as 6.5 acres of chardonnay in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, in the Côte des Blancs. This wine hails from the Les Chouettes vineyard, in the village of Villers-Marmery, less than a mile east of Verzy. 

Sadly, David Pehu doesn’t currently make wines from his Les Chouettes estate in this village. As a small, relatively unknown producer, he found that his Grand Cru sites did better in the market than this Premier Cru site, so he began selling off the fruit to negociants shortly following the harvest of the grapes used for this 2013 vintage wine. Perhaps it was a choice that was a bit premature, it would seem, as the site has since developed an almost cult-like following, with a rising tide of experts asserting that the village and this site are deserving of Grand Cru status.

When asked shortly after he made the call to sell the fruit from the parcel of old vines that makes up Les Chouettes, he sadly remarked, “It’s a pity it’s Premier Cru,” he says. “If I could call it Grand Cru, I’d happily use it.” The family still owns the plot to this day, and there are rumors that the parcel will one day be brought back into the Pehu-Simonet portfolio. Perhaps by then, justice will be served and this amazing, chalky site will have been elevated to Grand Cru. For now, we have this spectacular offering, at a price too good to be believed!

This is 100% chardonnay, fermented in stainless steel tanks with no malolactic fermentation. David always blocks malolactic, as he believes it better preserves the finesse and expression of fruit in the long run. With 82 months aging on the lees, the long run is precisely what he’s looking toward, and this wine is an absolute achievement here. A fine 3 grams per liter dosage allows the wine’s purity to take the forefront, simply packed with citrus peel, jasmine, alyssum, crumbled chalk, mint, and white pepper – leading into an exotic palate that is robust with golden plums, guava, apples, almonds, and key lime. The wine carries a salty, sea spray note throughout, and an undercurrent of tingly, crunchy minerality into the long, dry finish. This is a joy ride of a wine and simply delightful, unique, and provocative all at once! Fifteen cases is all we have, so don’t delay!