On Sale: $89.94 (was: $99.94)*
Blanc de Blancs is one of our favorite styles of bubbly to open around the holidays, as not only is it a real crowd pleaser, it can be one of the most versatile wines to pair with food. AR Lenoble takes the cake for fairly priced, high end, vintage Blanc de Blancs as despite being entirely estate grown grand cru Chardonnay from Chouilly, it still carries a price tag under $100.
Make no mistake, this is still a high end Champagne, but a vintage Blanc de Blancs of this pedigree from the major firms would most certainly be considerably more, and today’s 2012 is a vintage to grab with both hands. 2012 was an “exceptional vintage in Champagne” (Jancis Robinson), and this Wine Enthusiast ‘Editors’ Choice’ would certainly be an excellent pick to stock up on for the holidays and beyond!
Family owned Champagne producers like AR Lenoble can offer an artisanal sensibility that larger, negociant houses simply cannot. This cuvee is entirely from a single village, Chouilly, and with very low dosage and a moderate 25% aged in Alliers oak, it is a pure and vibrant expression. Founded a hundred years ago by the Grasser family, fourth generation Anne Malassagne has been responsible for really supercharging this firm in recent years, and along with her brother have helped restore the reputation their great-grandfather built back in the 1920s. We can’t think of a better way to ring in the season than with their vintage Blanc de Blancs!
94 points & Editors’ Choice, Wine Enthusiast: "Grand cru Chardonnay and a low dosage set this Champagne up for a great future. That is to say, with its concentrated minerality contrasting with Meyer lemon fruitiness, the wine is only just hinting at some nuttiness and has far to go."
*Offer publication date December 2, 2021. Pricing and availability subject to change.