NV Gremillet Blanc de Noirs Brut 750 ml

Gremillet Champagne Blanc de Noirs: #1 at the NYC Taste-Off

In the wine retail business, it’s always been the magic number. When top-notch Champagne — those estate-grown and -bottled on the most priceless limestone hillsides in the world — is sold for $30/bottle, Champagne sells like hotcakes.

But for nearly three years prior to Q4 2014, currency markets and the soaring price of vineyards outside of Épernay and Reims conspired to make that $30 number impossible to reach. In April 2014, the foreign-exchange rates neared 1.4 dollars to the euro. At the same time, several Chardonnay parcels were sold above Mesnil and Cuis. The asking price had been $2,400,000 per hectare, but the winning bidder was obliged to pay a premium!

Then, in October 2014, the balance of power began to shift. As the American bailout plan finally helped put the Great Recession in the rearview mirror, Europe’s economies wobbled, fueled by potential defaults in Spain, Greece, and Portugal. The greenback started to pick up steam, and as news out of Athens worsened, the euro plunged. By the time the dust settled, the U.S. dollar had regained the upper hand, increasing in value by nearly 25% against the Euro.

Last week, as the dollar hovered around 1.12, we decided it was finally time to flex WineAccess’s buying muscles in N.Y.C. We had previously invited dozens of small Champagne producers to send samples, understanding that if we approved a wine, both WineAccess and the producer would be sharpening pencils at the negotiating table.

In the end, two wines prevailed, both Blanc de Noirs, made predominantly comprised of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier rather than Chardonnay. Each was made by a family that has been farming their vines for generations. Curiously, though perhaps not surprisingly, both bottles had won similar taste-offs.

The first, Jacques Diebolt’s Blanc de Noirs, has been featured at a half-dozen of Manhattan’s hottest spots. The second, this stunning assemblage from Jean-Christophe Gremillet, blew away the field at Michelin-starred The Modern. Based on our tasting last Wednesday, that result should come as no surprise.

The Gremillet Blanc de Noirs Champagne is comprised of 100% estate-grown Pinot Noir. Pale golden. Tiny, fine bubbles of excellent persistence. Aromas of citrus and orchard fruits, dried flowers, and toasted brioche, with bright mineral overtones. Rich, juicy, weighty, yet still perfectly precise on the palate, with a core of bitter pear and blood orange. Gains depth and complexity and becomes decidedly more vinous with air, finishing with excellent cut and length.

After sharpening pencils on both sides of the Atlantic, 100 cases of this superb grower Champagne are being offered at $30/bottle. Shipping included on 4.