New fizz on the block: meet the experimental grower Champagne producers
The grower Champagne revolution shows no sign of slowing, with a wealth of confident, experimental producers challenging traditional lore through an increased focus on single-vineyard wines. Essi Avellan MW pays a visit to six of them.
The sweeping changes of the past 20 years have loosened the previously tight grip of the great historical brands on the traditionally stable Champagne scene. Growers have been able to tilt the age-old balance in their direction, attracting media attention and an avid following. With their newly developed sexiness, grower Champagnes have seen their prices rise to a new level, competing equally with the grandes marques but via a completely different profile.
The sustainably minded new wave of grower-producers makes up a small yet visible part of Champagne’s overall army of 3,200 growers making their own Champagne. These producers place less value on Champagne’s classic art of blending, instead focusing on reflecting the characteristics of terroir in the glass.
Read full article here: Club Oenologique