NV Jacques Lorent Grande Reserve Brut Champagne 750 ml

John is usually right, and he knows it.

A sommelier at a hip New York restaurant, he presides over a wine program with a fleet of Zaltos and a flotilla of quadruple-digit Burgundies. He’s exceptionally discerning, and is fond of making hyperbolic pronouncements—which is why he can be so infuriating to hang out with.

So when he whipped out a bottle and declared, “You’re not going to find a better deal in Champagne,” our eyes rolled in unison.

But, as much as we hate to admit it, he was right. Again.

From a region synonymous with Grand Cru exclusivity and three-digit price tags, Jacques Lorent’s Grande Reserve is a shockingly affordable outlier. A brioche-scented Champagne beauty with a ton of zip and chalky minerality, it comes at a price that refutes the notion that superb Champagne has to cost big money.

A cooperative of 250 small Champagne growers—each one often farming just two or three acres—cultivates the fruit used in Lorent’s Grande Réserve. Led by high-acid Pinot Meunier blended with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, it’s immediately accessible, drinking beautifully out of the gate. Crisp yet creamy, full in body, this bubbly reflects the wine’s origins in some of the best vineyards of the Marne Valley.

The nose floats from sliced green pear with white-peach undertones to freshly baked brioche. White flowers, wet stones, and honeysuckle give nuance to a fresh-fruit character. It’s clean and refreshing, a bubbly of great balance and elegance, and we can’t get enough of it.

A rare release that truly qualifies as a weeknight deal, this stunning release defies conventional wisdom and delivers far more than its price tag would lead you to believe.