NV Champagne Alfred Tritant Mon Essentiel 750 ml

Grower Champagne represents a whopping 45% of France’s Champagne consumption, but just 10% of the American market. Why? 

The French know that grower bubbles offer outrageous value and stellar character, which is why many of the best ones never make it out of France. Alfred Tritant’s micro-production jewel, Mon Essentiel, is a prime example. 

For years, Alfred Tritant sold all their grapes to merchants and négociants. After 1930, when they started producing their own Champagne, they continued to sell 20% of their grapes to Mumm—but in the 1950s, they started keeping all of their grapes for themselves. 

Alfred Tritant is a TINY house, farming 19 plots that cover just over seven acres, producing just over 2,000 nine-liter cases of wine each year. This rich, full-bodied Champagne is 2/3 Pinot Noir and 1/3 Chardonnay from Bouzy and Ambonnay, hand-harvested and sustainably farmed. The finished product is dosed with just 4.4 g/L of sugar—bracingly dry and refreshing.

Bouzy is a 100% Grand Cru-rated village in the heart of Pinot Noir country, on the Montagne de Reims. It’s home to great growers like Clouet, Benoît Lahaye, and Jean Vesselle. Understandably, Tritant has built a loyal following that gobbles up most of their production. To get a share, we direct-imported these bottles ourselves. We allocated a six-pack of bottles to share with some of our favorite restaurants, and the first one that tasted this wine—MICHELIN two-star Californios in SF—took as much as they could get. It’s on the list at $180!