Ecueil grower under Frederic Savart on the south Montagne de Reims, making precise, Pinot-led Premier Cru Champagnes from massale-selection vines.
Signature wines: savart-lopen
Tip: Savart works the prized pinot fin d'Ecueil, an old massale selection of Pinot Noir.
Address: 1 chemin de Sacy, 51500 Ecueil, France, Champagne
Ambonnay grower led by Benoit Marguet, farming Grand Cru vines biodynamically with horse ploughing, Demeter-certified, for vivid low-dosage Champagnes.
Tasting: Grower estate; visits by appointment in Ambonnay.
Signature wines: marguet-shaman
Tip: Marguet has ploughed its vineyards with horses since 2010, unusual in Champagne.
Ludes grower established 1847, run by brothers Raphael and Vincent Bereche toward low-dosage, terroir-driven Champagnes with extended lees ageing.
Tasting: Grower estate; visits by appointment in Ludes.
Signature wines: bereche-brut-reserve
Tip: Le Cran is a single-village Ludes Premier Cru that helped build the estate's modern reputation.
Ambonnay grower led by Benoit Marguet, farming Grand Cru vines biodynamically with horse ploughing, Demeter-certified, for vivid low-dosage Champagnes.
Tasting: Grower estate; visits by appointment in Ambonnay.
Signature wines: marguet-shaman
Tip: Marguet has ploughed its vineyards with horses since 2010, unusual in Champagne.
Ludes grower established 1847, run by brothers Raphael and Vincent Bereche toward low-dosage, terroir-driven Champagnes with extended lees ageing.
Tasting: Grower estate; visits by appointment in Ludes.
Signature wines: bereche-brut-reserve
Tip: Le Cran is a single-village Ludes Premier Cru that helped build the estate's modern reputation.
Family house at Urville in the Cote des Bar, founded 1808, Pinot-led and a custodian of Champagne's rare grapes through its four-grape Quattuor.
Tasting: Family estate in the Cote des Bar; visits and tastings, see the house for hours.
Signature wines: drappier-carte-dor-brut, drappier-quattuor
Tip: Quattuor blends the rare Arbane, Petit Meslier and Blanc Vrai with Chardonnay.
Cuis Chardonnay grower bottling since 1935, with major Cote des Blancs holdings including Cramant and Chouilly, making crisp, precise Blanc de Blancs.
Tasting: Grower reception and tasting in Cuis, Monday to Friday and Saturday by appointment.
Signature wines: gimonnet-cuis-1er-cru, gimonnet-fleuron
Tip: The family owns more Cote des Blancs vineyard than almost any other grower.
Seventh-generation Bouzy grower founded 1833, working 100 percent Grand Cru vines, Pinot Noir-led with a renowned rose and the rare still Bouzy Rouge.
Tasting: Grower estate; visits by appointment in Bouzy.
Signature wines: paul-bara-grand-rose-de-bouzy, paul-bara-brut-reserve
Tip: All the fruit comes from Grand Cru Bouzy, famed for ripe, powerful Pinot Noir.
Chouilly Grand Cru Chardonnay grower founded 1954 under Jean-Pierre Vazart, making generous, single-village Blanc de Blancs with a large perpetual reserve.
Tasting: Grower estate; visits by appointment in Chouilly.
Signature wines: vazart-coquart-grand-bouquet, vazart-coquart-special-club
Tip: All fruit comes from Grand Cru Chouilly at the northern end of the Cote des Blancs.
