Champagne Gaston Chiquet Dizy, Champagne

The global market of Champagne is dominated by two dozen or so houses regarded as 'Les Grands Marques'. These are the most famous names in Champagne; Moet et Chandon, Louis Roederer, Pol Roger, and Taittinger to name a few. Through the years they have all developed their own particular house-styles, and to achieve these styles year in and year out, they purchase and blend fruit of varying qualities from many different villages and growers. However, many feel that by doing this the wine loses all notion of terroir and sense of 'place'. A growing trend has recently emerged from this region, so steeped in tradition. The growers themselves have ended ties with the great houses, and have begun producing the wines themselves. Vines have gotten older, yields have decreased, and fruit quality has improved. These 'Grower Champagnes' are artistic and important, they are of extremely high quality, and more importantly, have a true sense of 'place'. Eight generations have followed one another since Nicolas Chiquet planted his first vine stock in 1746. In 1935, Gaston Chiquet created his own marque, by planting Chardonnay in Aÿ, the bastion of Pinot Noir. Since the Fifties, Gaston Chiquet and his son Claude have extended the vineyard holdings on the soils of Aÿ and Hautvillers, bringing new possibilities of assemblage and expression to the winery.

Blanc de Blancs d'Aÿ Brut N/V "Reserved scents of apricot, lemon, dry cereal and honey are well integrated. Berry flavors, orange peel, toast and chalk. Long, tight close will soften with time." 89 points, The Wine News, Jan 2007 "Green-gold. Vivid citrus and green apple aromas are sharply focused and pure, emphasizing lime and pink grapefruit. Brisk, nervy grapefruit and mineral flavors show wonderful focus and depth, finishing on a salty note. Delicious, energetic Champagne with impressive focus and purity." 91 points, Int'l Wine Cellar, Nov 2006 "A light-weight, delicate bubbly, offering floral, yeast, lemon and ginger notes. This is balanced and turns creamier as it lingers on the palate, with a nice toasty finish. Drink now." 90 points, Wine Spectator, Nov 15, 2008

Special Club Brut 1999 The "Club de Viticuleurs Champenois" began in 1971 as a way for the smaller growers to join forces in order to market their wines. With over a dozen different producers working together they felt they could more easily compete with the larger Champagne houses. They created the "Special Club" bottling, with the idea that it would always be the best of what each producer had to offer and would always be presented in the same oddly shaped bottle. "Disgorged 10/07, majority Chardonnay (from Aÿ), with PN from Hautvillers (two-thirds) and Mareuil. Often this wine strikes me as comparable to Clos de Goisses, though not as resplendent; it's pure terroir, and this is quite the marching-band of flavour after all these cool 21st-century wines, but bless Nicolas: the chalk here is wonderful, and despite the extravagant fruit this is firmly outlined and spicy; assertive but not brusque." Terry Thiese, importer and wine writer "60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay - Moderate nose of smoke, saline, red cherry, orange peel, lime blossom and minerals. Medium body, high complexity and acidity. Baked apple, lemon cream, smoke and black cherry." 92 points, vinocellar.com

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