An Insider's Guide to the Top Six Grower Champagnes

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In recent years, grower champagne has had a tremendous surge in popularity among consumers who value artisanal, small-production products. Grower champagnes aren’t better or worse than those made by the market-dominant large houses (Maisons de Champagne), but they do offer bubbly-lovers a certain element of surprise.

To find out more, I turned to Geoffroy Scheid, my “go-to” for all matters Champagne. Geoffroy and I met five years ago as colleagues at Sherry-Lehmann, the famous Park Avenue wine shop. Before moving to New York, Geoffroy, a native Champenois, spent five years managing La Vinocave wine shop in Reims, Champagne. La Vinocave staff members are considered experts in champagne, with an inventory of hundreds of the finest bottles. Today, Geoffroy is a Fine Wine & Spirits Consultant at Independence Wine & Spirits.

Geoffroy Scheid in Reims, Champagne.

Geoffroy Scheid in Reims, Champagne.

“A champagne grower is someone who grows and cultivates his own grapes. Some sell their grapes to the “maison de négoce” (Moet, Clicquot, etc.) while others produce their own champagne,” says Geoffroy. “The production of a grower’s champagne is much smaller than that of a big champagne house, so the product is more artisanal with a lot of personality, and the wines tasting slightly different year to year based on variables like the weather.”

I put Geoffroy on the spot by asking him to pick his top six grower champagnes. He first noted that there are many excellent choices and that his selection is highly subjective.

“My own choice is from my own experience,”  he said. Here’s Geoffroy’s list, in no particular order, along with his comments about each wine and producer.

  • Jerome Prevost La Closerie les Biguines ($149): Definitely the best Pinot Meunier expression I’ve ever tried in Champagne. Jerome Provost is located in Gueux Village and owns only 2 hectares of Pinot Meunier Grapes to make “Les Biguines”.  The wine is a great example of purity and elegance, using only Pinot Meunier. So Unique!!! At the beginning, Prevost worked with Anselme Selosse Domaine, and I believe he was influenced by Selosse—one of the great grower champagne producers—in terms of viticulture and wine making. BEST MEUNIER EVER.

  • Jacques Selosse Substance Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru ($423): Anselme Selosse, son of Jacques, is a magician, a god of champagne making! The domaine is located in Avize and is among the first in the region to adopt biodynamic practices. The taste is very unique, very rich, an oxidative style. The cuvée “Substance” is made in a solera system, and is one of the best gastronomic champagnes I’ve ever tried. Unbelievable Champagne!

  • Agrapart & Fils Cuvée Mineral Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut ($122): Pascal Agrapart is located in Avize, and he vinifies his Chardonnay beautifully. For me, he’s one of the pioneers of the bright, crisp, fresh style of champagne. His “Cuvee Mineral” is a perfect expression of his style! 

  • Bereche et Fils Brut Réserve ($55): What a star! Maybe the most successful producer in Champagne. Bereche wines have a perfect balance between the three grapes (pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay). The complexity comes from the number of different terroirs they own (Ludes, Mareuil-le-Port, Trepail, etc.). They use barrel aging and cork closures rather than caps during the second fermentation to favor micro-oxygenation. The Brut Reserve is a model of balance, harmony and freshness. So good!

  • Tarlant Zero Brut Nature ($59): I love this producer's Zero Brut Nature. Located in La Vallée de la Marne, the vinification is done in both barrels and amphora. The Tarlant Zero Brut Nature champagne is so fresh and crisp with a great character. One of the best no dosage for me.

  • Etienne Calsac Les Revenants ($157) : Rising star!!! This is a young and super-talented grower and winemaker. He has only 3 hectares of vineyard. Les Revenants is the most exciting champagne I have tried this year. A blend of pinot blanc, petit meslier, and arbane from the Sezanne terroir in the extreme south of Champagne. The wine is vinified in barrique.  Absolutely unique! This producer is on the verge of becoming a rock star!

Grower champagne can be identified by the “RM” on the label, which stands for Récoltant-Manipulant. Other top grower champagne producers to look for:

  • André Jacquart

  • Aubry Fils

  • Benoit Déhu

  • Benoit Lahaye

  • Cédric Bouchard

  • Egly Ouriet

  • Françoise Bedel

  • Georges Remy

  • Guy Larmandier

  • Jacque Lassaigne

  • Marguet

  • Robert Moncuit

  • Ulysse Collin

  • Vilmart