Leclerc Briant was an early adopter of organic practices beginning in the 1960’s and pioneered the concept of single-vineyard Champagne starting in the 1970’s. Fifth generation vigneron, Pascal Leclerc started to follow biodynamic principles in 1988, with part of the production Demeter certified since 2003. Today, enologist Hervé Jestin continues the legacy of this visionary house. Ten hectares of vineyard spread between the Premier Cru villages of Cumières, Hautvillers, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Bisseuil in the Vallée de la Marne, Villers-Allerand and Rilly la Montagne in Montagne de Reims and the Grand Cru villages of Cramant and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Côte des Blancs. Leclerc Briant also holds long-term contracts with another 8 hectares of biodynamically farmed vineyards. Les Basses Prières is from a single 0.17-hectare plot in the premier cru village of Hautvillers in the Vallée de la Marne. The southeast facing plot is planted to 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay with an average vine age of 40 years. Spontaneous fermentation and aging take place in used 225-liter French oak barriques for 9 months followed by 36 months aging sur lattes. The wine receives a low dosage with just 2 grams per liter of residual sugar. 1,800 bottles produced.

At the House of Krug, every vintage is crafted to celebrate the distinctive character of a particular year. Krug 2011 is so opulent yet crisp, the House’s Tasting Committee nicknamed this Champagne “Spirited Roundness”. For Krug, the year 2011 gave birth to a surprising Champagne allying finesse and power with a spontaneous, vibrant side born from this fiery year. Krug 2011 is ample, generous, and assertive. To tell the story of 2011, a selection of Pinot Noir plots’ wines constitutes almost half (46%) of the blend, imparting beautiful structure and magnificent balance, while Chardonnay plots’ wines (37%), most affected by the heat spikes, imbue ripe and juicy fruit aromas, and Meuniers (17%) add a wonderful freshness with elegant bitters. The striking profile of Krug 2011 comes after 12 years in the cellars, gaining in expression, harmony, and finesse. As all Krug Champagnes, Krug 2011 will continue to gain with the passage of time.

Suenen crafts just a single 600-litre demi-muid of this cuvée. It originates from a parcel of particularly low-yielding vines planted in Chouilly’s renowned Le Mont-Aigu terroir, near the Cramant border on the Butte de Saran. Now more than 45 years of age, these old vines suffer from fanleaf virus, resulting in tiny leaves, roots and bunches. Coupled with skeletal soils (just 35 cm of topsoil over pure chalk), this results in a deep yet compact expression of Chouilly that is unlike any other. Expect flesh and concentrated ripeness yet also chiselled structure and intense, saline minerality.

The most northern of Suenen’s Oiry parcels, La Cocluette is also home to the domaine’s oldest vines (planted in 1925), a site where the ancient roots bury deep into the dense Campanian chalk (the younger plantings from this site go into the Oiry Blanc de Blancs). Vines of this age are as rare as hens’ teeth in Champagne, and they gift tiny yields of concentrated berries. The land here is largely flat with a somewhat northern exposure. Here the base wine fermented naturally and aged for nine months in one 700-litre concrete egg and one 600-litre Stockinger barrel (the same that is used each year). It then aged sur lies for 60 months in bottle until disgorgement in July 2022, when it was dosed with 3 g/L. Suenen explains that the wines from this vineyard express themselves with great finesse. “The energy brought by this calcium-rich terroir makes the mouthfeel richer through a silky bubble. With time, the finish lengthens on a salivating mineral vibrancy.” Put another way, this is a more intense and complex expression of this region’s naked-chalk terroir than the NV Oiry

Structured, full-bodied and fruity, this Peper-Heidsieck Rare Millesime Champagne has delicate, muted exotic fruits and mild spices on the nose. This is a wine with depth but also it has a harmonious lengthy finish.

In the words of no less than James Halliday, "Krug is the greatest wine of Champagne". At the House of Krug every Vintage is crafted to be different. Every Krug Vintage reveals the expression of a particular year with its distinct character: it is the music of the year as captured by Krug. It is a blend of expressive wines from a single year enhanced by a stay of over ten years in the cellars. The result a manifestation of time, place and feeling that verily leaps from bottle to flute.