Champagner Reise Februar 2025

Hello dear ChaCha community!

We have just returned from our February trip and are feeling incredibly energized. Although every visit is an absolute marathon—with up to six growers and 12-hour days—you can truly feel how worthwhile it is to dive so deeply into the world of Champagne and earn the trust of so many key figures in the region.

Suddenly, more and more doors begin to open. Important allocations are increased, we gain deeper insights into each producer’s philosophy, and genuine friendships develop along the way.

What also makes me incredibly happy is seeing that we continue to identify exciting Champagne growers and producers who turn out to be real hidden gems. By hidden gems, I mean producers that so many people find genuinely fascinating and exciting.

But now, let's get specific—these were the highlights and key takeaways from our trip:

The 2024 growing season was even more disastrous than 2021. Many growers lost between 70% and 100% of their crop while simultaneously facing an extraordinary amount of work in the vineyards. It’s almost impossible to imagine. Thankfully, the 2023 vintage was excellent, and cellars, tanks, and barrels were filled to the brim.

At Marie Courtin, we tasted a Champagne that we have had in stock for quite some time but which had remained rather closed until now: Blanc de Blancs 2020, aged in amphora and featuring an exceptionally intriguing blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Arbanne.

My tasting note:

"Simply brilliant! Calm, creamy, majestic yet precise and light on its feet. Fine spice and structure, remarkable depth, endless length, beautiful delicate fruit—wow

Unfortunately, it is not exactly a bargain.

We were finally able to visit Thibault Tassin again! Ever since renowned wine critic William Kelley recommended the young winemaking couple on Instagram, the hype has reached another level. Unfortunately, their Champagnes were already sold out, and interested customers will need to wait until October. Anyone interested should join the waiting list as soon as possible.

While we are generally not big fans of hype, we genuinely wish them all the success they deserve because they remain incredibly humble. They spend their days experimenting in the vineyard, constantly searching for the most sustainable viticultural methods, and they still riddle every bottle entirely by hand.

This is necessary because they use absolutely no additives, requiring a very specific hand movement to allow the lees to settle properly—something a riddling machine simply cannot achieve. Fascinating! It will be interesting to see whether they maintain this approach when they (hopefully) produce significantly more bottles in the future.

At Fleury, we had the opportunity to taste the entire high-end range, which is astonishingly complex and deeply impressive.

Some of our long-time followers may have noticed that Robert Moncuit had been unavailable in Germany for almost a year. At the time, the estate decided to combine several export markets for practical reasons, but the arrangement ultimately did not work out as intended.

Our reunion could not have been more perfect. The chemistry was instantly the same as on day one, and the Champagnes have become even more layered and complex. We are truly grateful to represent this exceptional talent in Germany.

There was also a brand-new release: the long-awaited Clos des Auges. A "Clos" refers to a vineyard enclosed by a wall, and such sites are often highly prized due to their unique microclimate.

What we did not realize before is that, besides Clos des Auges, there is only one other Clos in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger: the world-famous Clos du Mesnil from Krug, which costs roughly ten times as much.

My tasting note (expected release in 2–4 weeks):

Clos des Auges 2017

"Extraordinary aromas of spice: cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg. Extremely complex, perfectly integrated, balanced and harmonious. Great presence, linear, polished, beautiful aromatics, saline finish. Monumental."

We also visited two exciting new discoveries: Limar and Goulard. Both estates impressed us tremendously, and we are delighted to have found them.

Goulard already has a well-established style, while Limar is currently developing an incredibly exciting and distinctive identity, reminiscent of producers such as Grethen and Gauditiabois. We are very excited to share these wines with you.

The current release is still relatively lean in style, but everything that is coming next will offer considerably more body and fascinating aromatic complexity.

Speaking of Grethen, the new release is just around the corner. What we tasted impressed us greatly, and many devoted fans are already eagerly awaiting its arrival.

Our visit to Laherte Frères was outstanding. Aurélien has built something truly special there. The collection is exceptional, and the estate is run with remarkable precision and vision. We have not yet properly introduced them in our newsletter because we were initially only allowed to sell the wines in Austria—but that will change very soon.

And now for a preview that has us particularly excited:

Pauline Collin Bérêche, the wife of Raphaël Bérêche, is releasing her very first Champagne, and we have the honor of being its distributor.

The wine is absolutely stunning, packed with character and personality.

Stay tuned for our next newsletter in approximately two weeks!

Thank you for your continued interest, and please feel free to send us your ideas, feedback, and wishes.

Warm regards,

Nicola and the ChaCha Team