Chardonnay Exploration

Bottles individually purchased: £392

We’ve worked hard to access many great producers from across the width and breadth of Champagne. In doing so, we’re able to demonstrate just how diverse this region can be.

This case, focussing solely on Chardonnay, offers two excellent examples from the Côte des Blancs heartland, alongside cuvées from the Montagne de Reims, Marne Valley and the Petit Morin. Six different styles of this renowned grape – each as delicious as the next, but all delightfully unique.

Bonnaire Terroirs

We start off with a delicious and approachable example of classic Côte de Blancs Chardonnay – crisp, chalky and fresh with zesty citrus fruit flavours balanced by nice mid-palate weight and texture. 

Pierre Legras Idee de Voyage 2013

Staying in the Côte des Blancs, we visit the brilliant village of Chouilly for this excellent Chardonnay from a classic cool vintage. Made from old vines planted in 1947, the intensity of the Chardonnay grapes is balanced by the cool growing season, while 50% oak vinification and ample bottle age adds some beautiful toasty notes.

Henriet Bazin Blanc de Blancs

The Montagne de Reims mighty be rightly famous for Pinot Noir, but there are a handful of villages that also produce excellent Chardonnay; one of which is Villers-Marmery, which manages to bring out wonderful minerality in Blanc de Blancs. 

Herbert & Co. Cuve X 2.0

Next up is a wine is produced from a selection of prime vineyards in the renowned Grand Cru villages of Verzenay and Mailly-Champagne. This is the most refined wine from the house to date boasting fresh grapefruit and green apple followed by creamy, nutty notes with pronounced minerality and a long finish.

Oudiette X Filles Uni Terre

Our penultimate wine sees us travel south to the Petit Morin – an up and coming region for Champagne production south of the Côte des Blancs – and a hugely sought after producer. Uni Terre is blend of two Chardonnay parcels, sourced exclusively from the Beaunay terroir – 'Les Bas Vigny' and 'Les Gourdaines'. These two parcels face due south on fine silty and clay-sandy soils giving the Chardonnay the typically rich and tropical character familiar to the Petit Morin.

Jean Velut Lumiere et Craie

We finish our journey in the southerly village of Montgueu – a chalk outcrop on the outskirts of Troyes. The Chardonnay here develops rich character and even more so in this brilliant wine made entirely from perpetual reserve. Creamy, buttery and beautiful – the perfect place to finish.

Please note: Occasionally, due to stock availability, we may need to substitute bottles. In this situation, the replacement cuvées will be in the same style, and of the same or greater value.