I stumbled across this portfolio at a Grower Champagne-focused tasting a while back, and they were one of the standouts for quality across the entire portfolio. We worked on this deal for quite some time and were delighted to see it come together! La Grâce d'Alphaël is known to be the angel of knowledge – and scoring some of this beauty certainly showcases bubbly wisdom of the highest caliber. Powerful yet elegant, intense yet subtle – this is the perfect expression of intense, mineral-driven Blanc de Blancs.

Philippe and Véronique Glavier have managed this small estate in the Grand Cru village of Cramant since 1995. Set in the Côte des Blancs, the estate isn’t the Glaviers’ first rodeo in terms of the wine industry. Philippe and Véronique both hail from winegrowing families, with Véronique standing as the 12th generation of her family from the nearby village of Monthelon. Philippe is a third-generation vigneron who inherited a small domaine that now serves as their base. Over the years, they’ve built their holdings to a total of 4.5 hectares – with 49 different plots in Cramant, Avize, Oger, and Le Mesnil. Each plot is farmed and vinified separately, granting the pair a nearly limitless possibility of Chardonnay combinations for blending.

Simply put, I am in love with this wine! With no added dosage, the bouquet in this “angel of knowledge” cuvee is practically three-dimensional, lively, and tantalizingly fresh, with blanched almonds, orange blossoms, and Meyer lemons – all framed by a warming, creamy effervescence. The mouthfeel is round and viscous to match, but with an uplifting and bright acidity that sparkles. Tangerine oil, Earl Grey tea, white peaches, lemon cream, and dried apricots, accented by spicy-sweet notes of candy-coated licorice bites. It’s clean and ample throughout – offering tons of pleasure and complexity for a rather exceptional price! We don’t have nearly as much as we’d like – and sadly, this won’t be around for long!