Purple Mouthed Tip: For the same price — often less — you’re going to find a much more exciting bottle, one that doesn’t ride on the price of making you a sheep, rather hard work and place. So ditch your Veuves and get into grower Champagnes!
For example, I recently tasted a 2014 Gaston Chiquet OR Premier Cru, which retails for around $60. I blinded it as a very good Champagne — it had all the markers. Admittedly, the vintage reveal was disappointing, but compared to a $55-$70 Veuve, it’s by far a superior bottle. So branch out, leave the yellow status symbol behind for a better sip!
What is a grower Champagne?? And what are the markers for Champagne??
Officially known as a “récoltant manipulant,” grower Champagne is a term used for producers who are both growing their own grapes and making their own bubbles on premise.
Veuve Cliquot, Moët & Chandon, etc. are not growers, but houses, each referred to as a “négociant manipulant.” They either buy the grapes, must or still wine to then make it on their premises and sell it under their name. They’re likely buying from several growers, so it’s a blend of origins, whereas grower Champagne is from one vineyard. It’s like growers are a Nike store and houses are a Foot Locker. Or as I recently saw and loved in Athens, Greece, Athlete’s Foot <3
All I can envision is a bunch of people going to either get or get rid of tinea pedis. I have yet to flesh out the final business model in my head.
There are 340 Champagne houses and more than 16,000 growers. However, the majority of growers sell to houses, houses now representing more than 70% of all Champagne sales.
Continuing with the above analogy, grower Champagne is very diverse, not only a Nike store, but also Dr. Martens, Birkenstock, Jimmy Choo…Houses can also vary, but they’re like DSW Shoes, Famous Footwear, etc., where each store (house) has its own style, but all contain a wide variety of brands (growers.)
However, unlike a pair of Nikes, it’s not always so apparent that a bottle is a grower Champagne. Look for a little RM somewhere on the label or simply ask, because most wine nerds will get pretty excited when you’re looking to sip something that comes from specific soils, humans and place.
In the middle, we have a group of producers that act as co-ops, a coopérative de manipulation, which uses members’ grapes to create its own brand. Because I’m barefoot, I’ll get literal and give the example of Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne, a united group of growers producing Champagne under one name.
As I toil with the privilege of teaching/preaching something as frivolous as one Champagne over the other, I can stand strong about going straight to the source and supporting the backbone, not the fat. So next time you have the fortune of drinking Champagne, go grower.
I say the fortune because overall, Champagne is, in simple WSET terms, very good. It’s a small, strict region that has built an incredible brand. Champagne IS the shoe.
How to blind?
Good luck. Eyes closed, figuring out fizz can be frustrating. Beyond region and grape variety, sometimes you’re not even 100% if the thing is made from red, white or a blend of still wines. Even an MW could trip up on a Blanc de Noirs. Look for more body.
For now, I’m just trying to get the region right. Variet-y/ies and vintage are bonus points.
Though not exclusive to Champagne, I find when combined, aromas of green apples, bread dough and toast/brioche with buttery notes often point to our beloved bubbles from France. Add in some notes of oak and ding, ding, ding.
As mentioned in my last post, Vintage Champagne is all that with the addition of honeyed and nutty notes. It’s ethereal.
I often think how much I once disliked a Master of Wine’s answer to me when asking about a specific blinding situation, but so much of it really is “you just know.” There is just something about Champagne, and once you taste enough of it, I think you’d be hard-pressed to disagree.
Grower Champagne producer recommendations for another time. For now, santé.
