K&L Newsletter: Our Spirits Buyer's Champagne Picks

October is when I start setting the table for the rest of the year. The weather turns, the oven goes back on, and, of course, I want to drink Champagne.

This month we have five producers I would happily pour at my own table. Maxime Toubart’s 2008 “Heritage” spent 16 years on the lees in one of the coldest corners of the Marne Valley, and the price is $59.99, which still does not look right to me. Scott has two Billecart-Salmons for autumn, from a house that has stayed in the same family since 1818 and is now on its seventh generation. Gilbert-Jacquesson’s Meunier tastes like baked apple and cinnamon, which is exactly what I want next to a roast, and it starts at $29.99. Damien Hugot is the 25th generation of his family to farm in Champagne, and we have been bringing his wines in ourselves since 2019. Kai went west into the Aisne for Baron-Fuenté, whose “Quinconce” rests seven years on the lees before disgorgement, which is Krug territory for a non-vintage.

Damien Hugot and the Billecart team will both be pouring at our sold-out Champagne Tent Events in Culver City and San Francisco in a couple of weeks. Come find me there. A toast to you!

— Gary Westby, K&L Champagne Buyer

• Maxime Toubart: A 2008 held back 16 years, 5,000 bottles, $59.99
• Billecart-Salmon: Le Rosé and the oak-aged Sous Bois
• Champagne Damien Hugot: Grand Cru Chardonnay from Chouilly and Cramant
• Gilbert-Jacquesson: A Meunier master in the Marne, from $29.99
• Baron-Fuenté: Seven years on the lees in Charly-sur-Marne
• Maison 76: Our own Grand Cru label, from $39.99
• More Champagne in Stock: Eight more growers on the shelf now

Upcoming Events at Your Local K&L: Mark Your Calendars

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Le Breuil is not one of the most famous villages in Champagne yet. It is a cold microclimate in the far southwest of the Marne Valley, far off the beaten track, with as much cattle for Brie de Meaux as there is vineyard. Maxime Toubart held his 2008 for 16 years on the lees, and it is only now being released. The entire production is 5,000 bottles, 50% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, and 15% Meunier. This is coming out after Bollinger RD and Dom Pérignon P2 2008, and at $59.99 it is one of the most laughably great deals I have been able to offer in 26 years as the Champagne buyer here. We also got his single-vineyard 2018 "Pur Meunier," from a plot over 40 years old. Don't wait to case up. Read my full piece on Maxime Toubart On The Trail.

— Gary Westby, K&L Champagne Buyer

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Billecart-Salmon is one of the oldest Champagne houses in the region, dating to 1818 and the marriage of Francois Billecart and Elizabeth Salmon. Seven generations on, the motto is still "Give priority to quality, strive for excellence." Our best-selling "Le Rosé" has gotten brighter over the past few years on a lower dosage: very pale pink, super fine bubbles, juicy oranges, yellow peaches, and tart cherry, then small creamy bubbles on the palate. The oak-fermented and oak-aged "Sous Bois" is the rarer bottle and the one I keep coming back to, with oak spice, cream caramel, yellow apples, and a lean, tangy finish. This is THE Champagne of autumn. Billecart-Salmon is also pouring at our Champagne Tent Event. Explore all of my tasting notes On The Trail.

— Scott Beckerley, K&L San Francisco Champagne Specialist

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The Hugot family planted vines in Champagne as early as 1660, but 261 years passed before the Hugot name appeared on a bottle in 1921. Damien is the 25th generation to run the business. Along with his wife Miwa, who we are privileged to welcome back to Culver City and San Francisco for our annual Champagne Tent Event, he manages 20 acres of Grand Cru Chardonnay in Chouilly and Cramant and old-vine Meunier from sud-Épernay. K&L started direct importing in 2019 and these became a customer favorite fast. Four cuvées below, including the 2016 "Cramant," a mono cru from a village that was Grand Cru 25 years before the A.O.C. system existed, and at ten years old it is hitting its sweet spot. Read more On The Trail.

— Philip Roufail, K&L Culver City Champagne Specialist

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Fall weather always spurs me to start thinking about what Champagne I'll be drinking this year, and no grape makes more seasonally appropriate sparkling than Pinot Meunier. Cinnamon spice, baked apples, and honey sound like the perfect recipe for a holiday dinner, and there's no winemaker I'd rather trust with my Meunier than Jean-Baptiste Gilbert-Jacquesson. Four cuvées here, from the 100% Meunier "Cuvée Tradition" at $29.99 to the "Cuvée Prestige," built on reserves from a solera started in the 2000s. These are wines that scream of quality, warmth, and value, and they should be on every Champagne lover's wish list this year. Read the full Gilbert-Jacquesson story On The Trail.

— Ben Niedelman, K&L New York Champagne Specialist

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Charly-sur-Marne is about as far west as Champagne goes. It sits over the line in the Aisne, closer to Paris than to Reims, in the part of the Marne Valley where Meunier is king. Baron-Fuenté farms right alongside the river, their slopes running down to the water. The "Quinconce" spends seven years on the lees before disgorgement, well past the 15-month legal minimum and far longer than most houses give a non-vintage: an even third each of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier, half of it perpetual reserve, part fermented in oak. The Grande Réserve is the house signature, 60% Meunier at $29.99, and an absolute star at its price point. Also worth your time are the 7 and the Rebelle. Read my full piece on Baron-Fuenté On The Trail.

— Kai Pedreno, K&L Redwood City Champagne Specialist

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Maison 76 is our own Champagne label. All three bottlings are Grand Cru, from growers Gary works with directly in Bouzy, Verzy, and the Côte des Blancs, and they are priced well below what Grand Cru fruit usually costs. All three are in stock across every store.

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