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Champagne
NV Vincent Laval Rosé Brut Nature, Pinot Noir | Chardonnay Cumiers, Grande Vallée, Bin L7
So impressed with this wine and so little was made we had to add it to the list, albeit expensive, there is a treat yourself opportunity here. Think steak au poivre as this 2020 vintage is rich and lively and deserves a meal. It is lighter colored with deft preciseness of aroma and palette showing more fresh notes than secondary. Laval’s wines are scarce as they are made from minuscule harvests of ripe grapes on horse-worked 2 hectares of organic vineyards. In the cellar he is a non-interventionalist, vinifying in barrels with indigenous yeast and minimum sulfur. A stunning treat!
$250
NV Noël Bazin, ‘L’Unanime’ Brut Blanc de Blanc NV, Villers-Marmery, Bin L8
Magali and Noël spend a lot of time tending their 3 hectares on the eastern edge of Montagne de Reims and the hard work comes through in the all occasion Chardonnay. The cuvee is mostly from the 2020 vintage but the Bazin’s blend in just over 1/3rd of wine from a réserve méthode Soléra and a tinge from reserve wine aged in oak. The wine light crispness is marked by the older Soléra wine adding a layer of traditional champagne oxi-classiness.
$95
2016 Louis Roederer Rosé, Pinot Noir | Chardonnay, La Rivière Estate, Cumières, Chouilly, Bin L6
A snapshot of a year, this Rosé comes from 35 small staggered plots on the warm terroirs of the “La Rivière” estate planted with Pinot noir, and the cooler limestone soils where the Chardonnay thrives. A deep and fruity rosé that encapsulates the exceptional ripeness and intensity of a dry, bright summer. A Rosé of superb energy, which still combines great aromatic finesse
with a unique strength of character, a blend of saline freshness and a lovely plump body. -Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Cellar Master
$150
2016 Louis Roederer Blanc De Blanc, Chardonnay, La Côte Estate, Avize, Bin L4
Inspired by the Champagne House’s ‘savoir-faire’ in the harvest of a single year, this pure Chardonnay is grown on hillside plots in the Avize terroir in the heart of the “La Côte” estate. This champagne draws its strength from the intense chalkiness of these limestone soils which lend it its infinite freshness. An ode to the brilliance of the Chardonnay Grands Crus growing in limestone soil. - Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Cellar Master
$180
NV Frederic Savart 'l'Ouverture' Pinot Noir, Ecueil, Montagne de Reims, Bin L1
A rare bird l'Ouverture is an equal blend of 3 successive vintages bottled unfined and unfiltered and aged under cork. Fruit is gathered from a sprinkling of tiny plots and parcels around the village fermented half in barrel, half in steel. The perpetual blend and by gone aging technique certainly add texture and complexity to the cuvée but just the right amount producing an ethereal wine down to the color. Limited to one bottle per visit please.
$160
2016 Lelarge-Pugeot Les Vignes De Gueux Extra Brut, Pinot Meunier | Pinot Noir | Chardonnay, Vrigny, Bin L2
Gueux is a village just north of Vrigny where two special parcels, Le linguet, where Pinot Noir is planted on sandy soils, and Le patenais, where Meunier and 4 rows of Chardonnay on sandy loam and clay. The Chardonnay was a happy mistake that Clemence’s grandpa made back in the sixties that has ultimately added even more complexity to favorite cuvée.
$165
2018 Pierre Paillard, Les Mottelettes, Grand Cru Chardonnay, Bouzy, Bin L11
A flashy yellow hued wine with pronounced aromas of Meyer lemon and pineapple and a full-bodied palette displays powerfully and textured. Les Mottelettes is a single vineyard old vine Chardonnay planted in 1961. It is a full-bodied, rich expression of Chardonnay. The wine was aged in oak, bottled under cork for the second fermentation and spent four years on lees before disgorgement and a light dosage of 3 grams.
$163
NV Pierre Péters, Cuvée de Reserve, Grand Cru Chardonnay, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Bin L9
All parcels are owned by the estate which is pristinely farmed with biodynamic treatments and all parcels are vinified separately. Cuvée de Reserve is a blend of more than twenty years of vintages dating back as far as 1988 assembled from 67 different vineyard parcels, it is the perfect handshake from the Côte des Blancs.
$110
NV Robert Moncuit Réserve Perpétuelle, Chardonnay, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Bin L8
Pierre Amillet’s expertise with chalky terroir and passion for blanc de blanc are apparent in this multi vintage cuvée dating back to 2006. Each plot from each harvest was vinified and stored separately before blending. Even more complexity is added though bottle aging under cork, a meticulous and antique process to allow a minuscule amount of oxygen to exchange during the time in bottle. It is dry, dosage was deft if any and deep gold tones color a lush and elegant mousse bursting with toasty aroma, complexity, and pristine chalkiness.
$120
Étienne Doué, Cuveé Sélection, Chardonnay | Pinot Noir, Brut NV, Bin M13
Étienne Doué is a family affair with both his son, Jean-Francois, and daughter Virginie helping with the business in Montgueux. The first vines were planted in 1972 and then marketed under the Etienne Doué brand later that decade. In 1987 the business joined Les Vignerons Indépendants who’s mission is to protect the Independent Winegrowers of France and promote the professional winemaker and their economic development. In a region dominated by negotiant business, the independent winegrower is distinguished by cultivating their vines, creating and marketing their own wines. Doué is a true grower producer sending us wines at a cost much lower than other who make the claim of independence.
$90
NV Vincent Couche Eclipsia Rosé Pinot Noir | Chardonnay, L'Aube, Bin L5
Vincent’s rosé is classic in color with subtle red fruited aromas, a refreshing frothy body with a long sustaining delightfully prickly finish. Couche’s estate consists of 25 acres of Pinot in Buxeuil where the parcels mostly face south and west on steep slopes overlooking the Seine river, and 7 acres of Chardonnay in Montgueux where the chalky soils are similar to Chablis. Winemaking starts in the vineyard by following biodynamic farming principles and assembling wines based on his holdings. Respectively, Eclipsia is mostly Pinot with a little Chardonnay and colored with 30% still red wine.
$97
NV Domaine Lagille ‘L’Inattendue’ Brut, Pinot Meunier, Treslon, Montagne de Reims Bin L3
‘Unexpected’ because it is rare in Champagne to see an entry-range cuvée made from a single grape variety : a 100% Pinot Meunier, the main grape variety on the estate. Simple and elegant, L’Inattendue offers a beautiful effervescence, a delicate nose, and an aromatic combination of roundness, fruit and freshness.
$103
NV Jérôme Bourgeois-Diaz ‘BD‘M’, Pinot Meunier, Crouttes-sur-Marne, Bin L10
$130
Méthode Traditional World Wide
2022 Weiser Kunstler ‘Enkircher Zeppwingert’, Riesling Sekt Brut Nature, Mosel, Germany, Bin 49 M7
Enkircher Zeppwingert is just down river from Traben-Trarbach and consists of the same blue Devonian slate Wei-Ku’s other holdings are made up of. Konstantin and Alexandra spend most of their time crafting still wine from the most labor intensive sites available to work. It is so gracious of them to take the time to craft this exceptional Sekt. Needless to say, they make very little and it is limited; we were honored with one case. It is absolutely bone dry with a lavish mousse and distinctly German as minerality from the Moselle prevails over anything Champenoise.
$105
2020 Domaine Boris Champy, Elevation 424, Chardonnay, Crémant de Bourgogne, Bin M5
A mix of aromas from yellow and green citrus fruits, lime, oyster shells, and fine yeast. The Palate features taut acidity, a creamy texture, and flavors of citrus, wild apple, or pear Refreshing, energetic, and mineral-driven finish. It’s made from fruit grown biodynamically at 424 meters above sea level and a great value in method traditional wine.
$86
2021 Daniele Piccinin ‘Epoché’, Durella, San Giovanni Ilarione, Lessinia, Verona Bin M12
Zero sugar at dosage, this 100% Durella comes in singing with rich aroma of melon and warm apple skins. It's an absolutely delightful Method Classico which is just another example that sparkling wine as great as Champagne can exist elsewhere. We have Paccinin’s still version from the same vintage for an opportunity to drink them one after the other. Dare I say the purely calcareous soils will become apparent as you drink them and you will really get a sense of the place and its biodiversity.
$93
2015 Recaredo ‘Terres’, Xarel·lo | Macabeu | Monastrell, Brut NatuRe, Corpinnat, Bin M8
60 months on the lees and all the usual suspects here. Beside the addition of a little Monastrell, what sets Recaredo apart from Gramona and Raventos is the mousse. It is soft from a freshly opened bottle creating a beautiful body and mouthfeel as the layers start to peel away into aroma. There is minerality, fruit and acid but in way more subtle shades than other producers.
$95
2017 Raventós 'Manuel Raventós Negra’, Xarel·lo | Macabeo, Conca del riu Anoia, Bin K6
This is Manuel’s ‘flor y nata’ of his estate wines, which he personally crafts and only from perfect vintages. Despite extreme contrasts in weather, 2015 ultimately had all the components for an exceptional harvest. This vintage Manuel used mostly his oldest Xarel·lo vines with some younger Macabeo for additional acidity, (about 70/30). His intention is to make a fresh wine for lovers of acidity, structure and volume. Very Limited.
$175
2017 Raventós 'Textures de Pedra’ Xarel·lo | Sumoll | Bastard Negra, Conca Del Riu Anoia Bin M14
All red grapes including rare red Xarel·lo and Vermell vines planted in '65 were fermented with native yeasts. After 42 months on lees There was no dosage to the finished wine. The grape variety Sumoll (sue-moy) also makes up part of this wine, from the highest-elevation plot at Raventos, El Serral.
$90
NV Scharffenberger Rosé, Chardonnay | Pinot Noir, Philo, Mendocino County, California, Bin M3
Aromas of fresh raspberry jam and wild strawberries mingle with hints of cream-covered pastry, leading to a palate that is layered, round, and refreshing. A touch of Pinot Noir lends both its delicate pale salmon hue and a harmonious depth of flavor. A real value in American wine where a winemaking lineage from Champagne, ideal terroir and pristine farming meet.
$75
2016 Caraccioli Cellars Brut Cuvée, Chardonnay | Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, Carmel Valley, California, Bin M15
One of the last wines ever made by acclaimed sparkling scientist Michel Salgues, there is a story here equally as charming as what is in the bottle. The Agricultural Engineer, Biochemist and food scientist was retired from a long career at Roederer Estate and consulting from Turkey to Venezuela when he took on his final project, to make Champagne from a vegetable farm in the Santa Lucia Highlands. After a decade of prep and a very nervous family used to an annual pay check from their 124 acres that is now the Escolle vineyard, Salgues guided the Caraccioli family to craft an exceptional Californian version of Champagne.
$100
Sparkling World Wide
2023 Poetson, Méthode Ancestrale, Pinot Gris, Old Shore Vineyard, Lake Michigan Shore AVA, Bin M9
Pronounced chalky aromas, flit notes of citrus and meringue onto a body frothy with mousse that lingers a little before a polite goodby. This reminds me so much of Cremant d'Alsace. Although the palette is wise as if scores of vintages have been crafted this is Alex McNeely’s first vintage and the wine is expertly assembled.
$76
2024 Communion Wines, White Sparkling Wine, Aromella | La Crescent | Riesling, Hammond, Indiana, Bin K6
It's really an honor to be a fly on the wall, baring witness as makers craft there wines vintage after vintage. The gang at Communion is so fun to get to know as Alex, Ben, Nic and Pete are all distinct individuals, charismatic each in their own regard. The wines, born out of friendship and hobby, have really grown up in just the 2 vintages we have tried and this 'Sparkling White Wine' is probably their greatest achievement to date.
$60
2024 Communion Wines, Red Sparkling Wine, Marquette | Chambourcin | Riesling, Hammond, Indiana, Bin K9
I know I know, hybrids? Marquette was barely out of the University of Minnesota 15 years ago. It is a hardy freeze and disease resistant variety instantly adopted across the midwest and eventually Canada. I too was skeptical until Pete Johnson, one of the gang at Communion wine, poured it for me. After a short time with the skins the wine is bottled as a pét-nat and disgorged after 5 months. The result has bright acidity, ripe tart red fruit, and refreshing long finish that will have you tipping your glass to go for the ride again.
$60
2024 R. O’Neill Latta s4a, Syrah, Apples, Pasadena, California Bin K13
Riley O’Neill Latta works some rented plots of vines in Southern California and also buys fruit from various farmers around California that share his vision for growing in a natural and regenerative manner. This wine, s4a, is a conferment of syrah from Mendocino and apples from Santa Cruz county. This blend of wine grapes and apples is a beautiful distillation of Latta’s style and winemaking ethos: freewheeling and experimental but with a clear vision to achieve a purity of expression for the fruit. His wines are often quite tangy and bright when they are first opened, which I find resolves into something balanced and substantial after spending some time in the glass.
$72
2021 Vincent Bergeron, Certains l’aiment sec, Pétillant Naturel Chenin Blanc, Montlouis-sur-Loire, France, Bin M10
Elegant, dry and mineral rich with a tinge of sugar are the Chenin that tug at our heartstrings. After paying special attention to this oft forgotten bank in the Loire river we found this beautiful pet nat. Bergeron is somewhat of a golden child, timid but charismatic. His wines evoke the same feeling and I can only imagine are as pleasant as hanging out with the guy.
$90
2021 Mosse ‘Moussamoussette’, Grolleau | Pineau d’Aunis | Cabernet Franc, Rosé Pet Nat, Loire, France, Bin M2
Biodynamically farmed by Agnès, René and sons, Jo and Sylvestre their 17 hectares of 'Anjou Noir’, dark colored soils of slate and volcanic rocks drain into the Layon, a small tributary to the Loire that cuts through the shallow topsoil into the schist and sandstone subsoils. Stainless steel fermenters are filled with direct press juice then bottled with a crown cap to build up CO2 naturally before manually disgorged leaving some lees for texture.
$84
2022 Domaine Renardat-Fâche, ‘Cerdon’, Gamay | Poulsard, Bugey, France, Bin M6
Bugey is one of the most obscure French appellations hidden among cow pastures and forest on the foothills of the alps. This wine is a pink méthode ancestrale, not allowed to finish fermentation, leaving behind a semi-sweet but delicate, berry-scented delight that makes a delicious aperitif or perfect dessert pairing. This wine was originally made for a specific restaurant, now closed, and is meant to be consumed throughout the year following the vintage. One of Chef Madalyn's favorites.
$60
Angelo Negro, Birbèt, Brachetto, Roero, Piemonte, Italy, Bin K8
Low in alcohol and slightly spritzy, Birbet is sweet red dessert wine the estate packages appropriately in half bottles. It is pale and cherry in color and just petillante enough to dance the sugars across your while showing off red and black fruits at peaking ripeness. 375ml
$33
Massimo Coletti, Prosecco ‘Phoja’, Glera, DOC Treviso, Veneto, Italy, Bin M4
Pronounced yellow fruited aromas bounce around the glass with glitz of spearmint for a delightfully perfumed and light sparkling aperitif. Coletti uses the 'col fondo' method where effervescence is formed naturally instead of gassing the wine.
$65
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