I stumbled across this portfolio at a Grower Champagne-focused tasting (my very favorite sort!) several months back and they were one of the standouts for quality across their 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.

This 100% chardonnay has a 60% base of the 2017 vintage, with the remainder composed of the estate reserve wine. Some 5.5 years on the lees for integration, with a new disgorgement of April 2023, this has had plenty of age time to take it to the next level! It’s a blend of chardonnay from all of their holdings, predominantly Le Mesnil at 34%, then Cramant, followed by Oger, and Avize. 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, however. 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.

I LOVE this wine. The bouquet in this “angel of knowledge” cuvee is practically three-dimensional, lively, and opulent, with toasted almonds, orange blossoms, and roasted red apples – all framed by that warming, autolytic yeastiness. The mouthfeel is round and viscous to match, but with an uplifting and bright acidity that sparkles. Tangerine oil, Earl Grey tea, green apples, lemon cream, and Ruby Red grapefruit, accented by spice notes of clove and toasty barrel and finished with this sweet orange creamsicle finish. 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!