SMALL PLEASURES
JOHN BELSHAM explains the appeal of Grower Champagnes in this year’s tasting.
IN THIS YEAR’S $100 and under category we reveal several smaller, family-owned houses among the Champagne’s giants, with some of our higher pointed wines being Grower Champagnes. Grower or Récoltant manipulant (RM) wines are produced from grapes grown exclusively from the producer’s estates, unlike the more well-known houses that may source fruit from the entire region of Champagne. The popularity of Grower Champagne
is a reasonably recent phenomenon due in part to their individuality which enthuses the more knowledgeable and adventurous consumers. Another appeal is that these wines are typically more affordable than the Grandes Marques, given that the owners are not supporting the eye-watering marketing budgets of the internationally famous brands. The flip side is that quality is often variable, and unless the Grower is renowned, the experience can be disappointing. You can rest assured that this Top 10 selection is remarkable across a range of labels and price points.
BEST BUYS
Those wines offering an outstanding mix of quality and price are awarded Best Buy status. Price points differ, depending on the varietal, but if you see the Best Buy sticker you can rest assured you’re getting a great wine at an excellent price. Look out for the sticker on wine bottles at all good wine retailers.
TASTING PANEL
The sparkling wine tasting panel also tasted the Champagnes $100 and under.
JUDGING PROTOCOL
All wines were evaluated blind and awarded stars without knowledge of price. Following this, the stewards sorted the wines into two groups: over $100 and $100 and under. The judges then ranked these wines in these separate groups, once again blind, without changing any of the original awards. The lists are presented thus for your convenience.