Richard and Véronique Petit’s marriage would eventually unite his family’s holdings in Avize – prime chardonnay lots in the Côte de Blancs passed down for generations – with Véronique’s family holdings in Verzenay, where pinot noir reigns supreme in the Grand Cru lands of Montagne de Reims. This was in 2008, and in the short time since, their reputation has grown considerably. It was Richard’s longtime neighbor, the legendary Anselme Selosse (who has run one of Champagne's preeminent houses, Jaques Selosse, since 1980), who served as their mentor as they transitioned from growers to grower-producers (a.k.a. récoltant-manipulant). In keeping with his teachings, they make Champagne from fully ripe grapes, producing full and hearty wines that have a weight and vinosity to them, without sacrificing one iota of freshness and verve. 

Regardless of the vintage, these folks are often the last to pick their grapes, up to three weeks later than their neighbors. The grapes are fermented and aged as though they were to be bottled like White Burgundy, sometimes spending up to two years in barrel before bottling for a minimum of three years on the lees on their journey to becoming world-class Champagne. An Extra Brut level dosage of 3g/liter at disgorgement (though technically labeled as Brut, Richard and Véronique never really go above Extra Brut-levels) completes the winemaking process, but the wines are held for an additional 30 months prior to release. That’s a lot of investment into each bottle, and I’d love to be a fly on the wall for the back-and-forth with their accountant about the cost and benefit of such a course. But, as ever, the results speak for themselves – this is truly one of the most exceptional Champagne magnums we’ve featured. At a mere $156 price tag – this is a relative steal – and as limited as you might expect!

After all, the entire holdings of Richard and Véronique amount to less than seven acres – with only two acres dedicated to chardonnay – making this an exceptionally small production. The wine is aged for over 70 months on the lees, yielding a gorgeously aromatic wine, loaded with lemon blossoms, lemon meringue, and hints of chervil. More citrus follows on the palate as pomelo and orange notes counterbalance rich and luscious notes reminiscent of a Parisian bakery. There is real verve and depth to this wine, and one that I imagine will only get better over time… but rather tempting to pop in the here and now! So get two at least… one for now and one for later!