The Champagne Revolution

I was lucky to get to visit Champagne and Reims last week with a brilliant group of people, to explore the revolution of new and exciting grower Champagne.

The first of 4 producer visits was to Georges Rémy in Bouzy - a serious, thoughtful and understated producer, making some of the most exciting wines that I have tasted in years.

Georges took us through the story of his domaine and his wines. A family-owned estate for many decades, he has transformed the estate since he took over. Landowners since 1829, the family sold their grapes until the 1950s when his grandfather began to produce wines under their own label. Georges made his first wine - a Bouzy red, not a Champagne - in 2011 and his first Champagne was in 2014.

He converted to organic viticulture and achieved certification in 2015, a feat very much against the norm at the time. Georges focuses keenly on terroir and with the estate vineyards located on the Montagne de Reims - Pinot Noir dominant - his skill at making red wine is very much evident in his style. As one of the last vignerons to harvest in Champagne, Georges has to trust his instincts and hold his nerve to get optimum ripeness and balance in both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.

Rémy's wines are rounded, open, seductive, yet precise. Les Quatre Terroirs, his base wine, is a blend of 4 villages and is a vinous and gourmand Champagne. Les Hauts Clos was a revelation that unveiled itself slowly, completely ripe with verve and tension.

The next visit would bring us to visit Etienne Calsac, an energetic, young winemaker making linear and electric Champagne wines.