Philippe and Véronique Glavier have managed this small estate in the Grand Cru village of Cramant since 1995. While both hail from long-time Champagne families who crafted their own wines – they’ve built up this domaine essentially from scratch. Philippe shared that during his first ever harvest, he had no money for a press, and had to beg Veronique’s father to use theirs. Philippe couldn’t afford the custom crush fees, and his father’s press was booked through the long day, and for several days to come. And so he said to Phillipe, “You may not be rich, but you are young. You can work through the night.” Therefore, long after every other vigneron had gone home for the day, Philippe stayed through the night running his first grapes through the press all by himself. Tired but undeterred, he fought for their dream, and continues to do so today. And he is winning! 

One of the things I love about Philippe and Veronique’s wines are the lovely names of their cuvees and the names’ respective provenances. This is the Idylle Céleste Extra Brut. The word “idyll” means an idealized happy or picturesque episode or scene. It’s also a short poem idolizing pastoral, rustic life. When combined with Céleste (meaning “heaven”) the wine’s full meaning of the joys of being “heavenly idyll” comes into shape. Phillipe and Veronique have this as the wine between the madness of harvest, and bottling, and farming their myriad plots – and all the other matters that a high-end, micro-production Champagne house takes on throughout the course of their day. Those rare moments of peace, and rest, become a celebration all their own – and this is the wine for just such an occasion! 

This cuvée is a blend of La Grace d’Aphael (another stellar example of the Glavier’s handiwork) with a completely unique, still pinot noir, crafted by their son with fruit from a friend’s vineyard in the Marne Valley’s Grand Cru of Aÿ. The base wine is 94% La Grâce d'Alphaël, which is all chardonnay from Grand Cru plots in the Côte des Blancs (including 34% of their perpetual reserve that extends back to 1995),  plus 6% still pinot noir from the 2020 vintage. It sat on the lees for 18 months and was finished off with an Extra Brut level dosage of just 4 grams per liter, added during disgorgement in October of 2023.

The gleaming and vibrant pink hue is the first thing you’ll notice when you get this wine in your glass. It’s a mesmerizing color that showcases what’s to come. And what follows is the stuff dreams are made of. Florality is forefront, with violets and roses making an entrance, along with pink grapefruit, and wild strawberries, and raspberries. Then, the wild red fruits are echoed on the palate – fresh, clean, vibrant and juicy. There’s also hints of citrus fruits that really bring the acidity and tremendous balance into focus. This is stellar Rosé Champagne incarnate, and as a notoriously tough critic on rosé… I just love it. It’s festive, too, perfect for any delicious holiday feasts that you’ll soon be enjoying. And better still – it’s only $59! Can you believe it? Chrismakwanzukah is going to be a happy (and delicious) one this year!