Krug and Dom Pérignon are safe bets, but some of the most exciting bottles in Champagne right now come from growers most drinkers have never heard of. Elite Traveler asked sommeliers, restaurateurs and wine writers to name the producers flying under the radar, and their picks reveal where the region is heading: single vineyards, unusual grapes and winemakers with serious credentials.
Start with the grapes themselves. Pierre Gerbais, recommended by Beata Parzych of Baccarat Hotel New York, champions Pinot Blanc — known locally in the Côte des Bar as Blanc Vrai — in his L'Originale, bringing roundness, pear and apple flavours and a creamy texture to a variety rarely bottled on its own. Meanwhile, Pinot Meunier, usually relegated to a supporting role in blends, is getting star treatment from several growers. Sandia Chang, sommelier and co-founder of two-Michelin-starred Kitchen Table, points to Bourgeois-Diaz as a great Meunier-forward starting point, while wine writer Honey Spencer praises Flavien Nowack's Autre Cru range of site-specific Meunier bottlings, noting his focus on expressing place and vintage over a consistent house style. Robert Lange of The Mark Hotel singles out Franck Pascal for producing Meunier wines of remarkable finesse — he calls him a true artist.
Terroir is the other big theme. In Avize in the Côte des Blancs, Étienne Calsac works a tiny walled Chardonnay vineyard, and his Clos des Maladries cuvée delivers chalk-driven precision and depth. Les Monts Fournois, led by Juliette Alips of the Bérêche family, is winning admirers for pure, vineyard-specific expressions; Lange describes her approach as thoughtful and authentic.
The next generation is also making noise. Domaine d'Hélène is barely a decade old, but its winemaker cut his teeth at top Burgundy estates including Comte Liger-Belair, Chavy-Chouet and Roulot before returning to Champagne — Katy Keating of Flint Wines says the wines are turning heads, if you can find a bottle. Chang also recommends Hélène Charbaut, a young female producer making notably impressive wines.
There are quietly great names among the more established tier, too. Lancelot Royer, from Grand Cru Cramant, makes an understated Blanc de Blancs that Chang rates as the work of one of the last truly artisan producers. And Jacquesson, though far from obscure, deserves a fresh look: Lange praises its extraordinary ageing potential and deep respect for regional tradition.
Why should a traveller care? If you're heading to Reims or Épernay, these names are a shortcut to more interesting tastings — many grower-producers welcome visitors by appointment, and their bottles cost a fraction of the prestige cuvées. Even if you can't make the trip, this list works as a shopping guide: ask a good wine merchant for any of these producers and you'll taste a side of Champagne the supermarket shelves never show. The common thread is individuality — wines that taste of a specific vineyard and vintage rather than a marketing brief.
Full picks come from Elite Traveler.
