Growing Growers

Around the time I began in the wine business, Grower Champagne had become front and center. Boasted as a “value alternative” to the big house Champagnes, these wines were lively, fresh, and vibrant, typically priced 20-25% lower than many of the big labels. Oh, how times have changed. Many of these grower Champagnes have gone on to stardom, and many more continue to see success, finding new fans with every passing year.

The selections below are wines I was very fortunate to try before we offered them. They represent terrific quality with excellent short- and medium-term drinking windows. As you let those great vintages of Dom Perignon, Krug, and Taittinger’s Comtes rest in your cellar, you will certainly need something to enjoy in the meantime. For Dom Perignon and Krug lovers, I recommend the richer, more robust style of Adrien Renoir. This is a producer I’ve closely watched since it first started being imported, and I can easily say the wines have only gone from strength to strength. This isn’t just my opinion; as William Kelley from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate said years ago, “Every new release from Renoir seems to surpass the last, so I can only encourage readers to start paying attention to one of Champagne’s brightest young talents.”

Robert Moncuit has certainly had his moment in the spotlight. His path to fame has been bolstered by Pierre Peters, who helped put “Les Chetillons” on the map. Thankfully, Moncuit’s wines sell at a lower price, allowing us all to enjoy some savings. Jean-Marc Sélèque has taken off like a rocket ship, thanks to a lot of love from the sommelier community. His wines are nuanced, delicate, and full of terroir and complexity. A mixed case of these beauties is highly recommended. As William Kelley recently wrote, “As I’ve written before, Jean-Marc Sélèque is one of Champagne’s most exciting and dynamic young producers.” Make sure to get on board before these wines become hard to find.