K&L Newsletter: Gary Wesby's Top Champagne Picks!

I just returned from my annual trip to Champagne, where I tasted hundreds of vin clair from the 2025 harvest. Despite a summer so hot the mercury reached 107 degrees Fahrenheit (I actually photographed a pharmacy thermometer on my 2025 trip to prove it), the wines are remarkably fresh—a testament to how hard these producers are working and how well they have honed their craft.

While we wait for the 2025 vintage, we’ve assembled a lineup of incredible Champagne to drink, from old-school growers and long-time direct import Fallet Dart through a special anniversary cuvée from Billecart-Salmon. These current releases will make the long wait for the 2025s (not ready until at least 2029) that much sweeter. A toast to you!

— Gary Westby, K&L Champagne Buyer

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THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

• 2025 Vintage Report: Surprisingly Fresh in a Record-Breaking Year


• Billecart-Salmon's 2018 Anniversary Cuvée: Made for America's 250^th


• Olivier Krug Visits K&L: Inside Krug's 173^rd Edition


• The Champagne Train: A Buyer's Guide to the Gare de l'Est to Épernay Ride


• Fallet-Dart: Four Centuries, Three New Bottles


• A Spirits Guy's Guide to Champagne: Three Bottles to Know Now


• Mark Your Calendars: K&L's Upcoming Tasting Events

I recently returned from two weeks in the Champagne region, which I visit every year as K&L’s Champagne Buyer. While I was there, I tasted hundreds of vin clair (the still wine that is made into Champagne after being bottled) from the 2025 vintage. We won’t even see the entry level non-vintage offerings based on this harvest until 2029, and the first of the vintage 2025s won’t arrive until 2031, but I thought it was important to share my impressions. I think that this might be a watershed vintage in Champagne, because we are now really starting to see the results of the work that they are doing there to mitigate against climate change. Read more On The Trail.

Here's a toast to you from Gary and the team at your local K&L!

Billecart-Salmon is one of the few Champagne houses that can claim two centuries of uninterrupted family vision, and one of even fewer that has done so with such grace, precision, and consistency. All seven generations of Billecarts who have led the house have adhered to the motto “Give priority to quality, strive for excellence,” and this philosophy is reflected in the consistently elegant wines across their portfolio. Read more On The Trail.

— Graham Collis, K&L Redwood City

Raise a glass to independence and old allies

Recently, K&L Culver City welcomed Olivier Krug—sixth-generation family member and Director of Maison Krug—for a staff education session that turned into something closer to a masterclass. Here's what we took away. Read more On The Trail.

— Philip Roufail, K&L Culver City Champagne Specialist

What our Culver City Champagne Specialist sipped with Olivier Krug

The best way to get to Champagne is by train from Paris’ Gare de l’Est station, an hour and a half ride through some of the most scenic riverside vineyards of the region. The train only stops twice before you reach the heart of Champagne and is a trip worth taking. Here's what to watch for out the window, and the growers worth stopping for along the way. Read more On The Trail.

— Gary Westby, K&L Champagne Buyer

Champagne Dérot-Delugny — An alluring stop at minute 42

The first time that I went to Fallet-Dart with Gary, the online mapping system sent us down the wrong road. Once we went back to the highway, the Fallet-Dart family helped us by giving directions over the cell phone speaker. We were very grateful not to miss any of their fantastic Champagnes that morning!

The family has been growing grapes in Charly-sur-Marne since 1610—more than four centuries, through revolutions, wars, and every kind of vintage. Their range has always been exciting and varied, from crisp citrus-driven wines to mouth-filling richness. Three newer releases stand out right now, and all three are worth your attention. Read more On The Trail.

— Scott Beckerley, K&L San Francisco Champagne Specialist

Sparkling gems: three unique facets of Fallet-Dart

Greetings! My name is Jonathan Parnell and I'm the Spirits Specialist at K&L Culver City. Champagne isn't my home turf — that belongs to Gary Westby and Philip Roufail — but spending time behind the counter pouring and learning from them has changed how I think about bubbles entirely. Here are three bottles that have genuinely surprised me, from $44 to a splurge worth every penny. Read more On The Trail.

— Jonathan Parnell, K&L Culver City Spirits Specialist (and Champagne Enthusiast)

Festive bubbles for any budget

Love Champagne? So do we! Click here to discover how you can access a wide variety of truly exceptional Champagne at value prices. As always, each selection is thoughtfully curated by our own Gary Westby.

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