Arguably the finest ‘grower’ Champagnes are made by a handful of producers. The names of Anselme Selosse and Cedric Bouchard are probably on the upper echelon. Whilst both Bouchard and Selosse have championed the production of Champagne from single vineyards, Selosse favours solera-style (multiple vintage) Champagnes, whilst Bouchard bottles wines from a single vintage and single grape varietal.
Cedric loves Burgundy, abhorred highly fizzy Champagnes, and aimed to make his wines more like those of the Burgundians, where he’s crafting wines worthy of prolonged aging, of great subtlety and tremendous balance. What is somewhat overlooked is where the Bouchard family calls home - the Aube, a region for generations was not even permitted to call their wines ‘Champagne’. It was viewed in such poor light. Cedric’s vineyards, including those inherited from his father, are small but expertly maintained, generating painfully small yields. The deep, dense chalk of the Aube lends a salty brilliance to the wines like what you would see in Puligny-Montrachet in minerality comparison. Though Cedric often made it quite difficult to read what vintage the wine originates from, as they are all technically “non-vintage” because of Champagne’s laws requiring a much longer duration of lees aging after the second fermentation than Cedric will ever use.
Cedric also bottles his wines finally with the lowest allowable pressure allowed by Champagne law. In his deep, cold cellars the mousse develops slowly and extremely fine." Bouchard shun the dosage of sugar believing that heavy dosage is an application of ‘make-up’ which disguises the true character of the wine. Here you can taste Pinot, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc untrammelled by age or oak, with a laser-like precision. These truly artisan Champagnes are available in miniscule volumes.
