The Friday List - 3/17/2023

Bubbles are Back

Hello Collectors,

For self-proclaimed Champagne fanatics, it’s been a while since our last bubbly offer, but today we’re back with another stellar list. This one might be our wildest assortment yet, with a diverse mix of cult names like Brochet and Selosse, as well as the iconic larger houses. We’ve even reupped on America’s superstar sparkling producer, Ultramarine. So whatever your palate likes in a bottle of bubbles, we’ve got you covered today.

We open with a particularly strong showing in Grower Champagne, including pioneers like Selosse and Pierre Péters. And as time marches on, their protégés are cementing similar reputations, such as Jérôme Prévost—also represented today—who trained under Selosse. We also have the phenomenal wines of Emmanuel Brochet, who used to be an insider’s secret, and is now one of the hottest names in the Grower category. And for fans of Special Club bottlings, we have a trio available.

We’ll also call your attention to two more Growers: Adrien Renoir and Robert Moncuit. Last year we introduced you to the former, and his incredible, rich, powerful, yet balanced style of Champagne—especially at his price points. Grand Cru wines with such complexity and for under $80 are virtually unheard of, and typically don’t stay that way for long. Which is to say, expect the Renoir name to blow up in coming years, along with prices and scarcity. From Moncuit, we have two vintage offerings, both incredibly promising. While he’s best known for his Chetillons bottling, this dynamic pair captures the terroirs he farms with equal care and character, at a fraction of the price.

On American soil, there’s really only one sparkling producer we think could hang with the Grower crew, and that’s Michael Cruse’s Ultramarine. This brand has been on the fast track to superstardom in a way we haven’t seen in a long time, and perhaps ever at all in the domestic sparkling category. Working with legendary Sonoma Coast grower Charles Heintz (whose grapes are sold to every top-tier producer in the appellation), these wines honestly raise the ceiling on what anyone thought was possible for sparkling wines in California. They are not to be missed.

We close with The Usual Suspects, which is to say, The Greats. Dom Pérignon, Cristal, Taittinger, Bollinger, and Ruinart all deliver the lumber today. While we love to geek out about the small family producers and the stars of tomorrow, these names are household for a reason. They are the blue chips, and we’re thrilled to offer you a wide assortment of them today.