I have three new Champagnes here, but I am going to really just focus on one… because I love it so! But feel free to order all of them.

L. Aubry Fils Le Nombre d'Or Veteres Vites Brut 2014

Sale $67.99

93 pts Wine Advocate

25% Chardonnay, 25% Arbanne, 25% Petit Meslier, 25% Pinot Blanc

Arbanne? Petit(e) Meslier? Say what?

The story begins in 1986, when the Aubry brothers decided to create a special cuvee to celebrate the 200th birthday of the winery in 1991. They wanted to produce a Champagne similar in style and character to what was made those 200 years prior. Very quickly, they realized they couldn’t. While the most casual drinker of Champagne knows that Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier form the blending grapes for nearly all Champagnes, there are four others that are approved. And they didn’t used to be obscure, but were a major part of Champagne. While not quite extinct – the vines could be bought from the nursery – there were no considerable vineyards to even purchase grapes from. So the brothers set about grafting their own.

Gimmick? Marketing? Hardly. Think about it… will a wine, sparkling or otherwise, have more complex and a wide array flavors if it is made from one grape or two? Or four? Or seven?  In this case, more is truly more. So long as the winemaker knows what they are doing!

So check it out… Petite Meslier adds high acidity and laser-focused green apple flavors, alongn with a hint of fresh herbs. Pinot Blanc brings wonderful floral aromas and richness to the mouthfeel. Arbanne produces very little grapes, which is probably why it fell out of fashion, but the grapes it produces are concentrated with flavors. Finally, Chardonnay, which we all know, gives acidity, structure and refinement.

Put it all together and we have a wonderful Champagne that is as much a feast for the senses as it is for your intellect. Geek out or chill out… either way you will be thanking me!

“Aubry's newly-released 2014 Brut Nature Sablé Blanc de Blancs Le Nombre d'Or Campaniae Veteres Vites is showing beautifully, unwinding in the glass with notes of Meyer lemon, fresh pastry, toasted almonds and yellow apple. Medium to full-bodied, charming and enveloping, it's fleshy but precise, with a generous core of fruit, racy acids and a saline finish.” WA

Gaston Chiquet "Millesime Carte d'Or" Brut 2009 - $57.99 – 93 pts Vinous / 92 pts Wine Advocate -  “The 2009 Brut Carte d’Or is 60% Chardonnay from Dizy (Cerisieres lieu-dit) and 40% Pinot Noir from Mareuil-sur-Ay 1er (Mutry and Bourdeleuse lieux-dits) is just beginning to show signs of aromatic nuance in its bouquet, the 2009 is a terrific choice for readers who want to drink a Champagne with a bit of age. Dried flowers, chamomile, lemon confit, almond, pear and spice all develop with a bit of coaxing. The 2009 is not an overt or big wine as its vintage might suggest, but is rather a Champagne of total class and sublime beauty. I loved it.” Vinous

“Gaston Chiquet's 2009 Brut Premier Cru Or is showing very well, revealing aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, honeycomb, white flowers and fresh brioche. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and nicely defined, with an enveloping core of fruit, ripe but racy acids, and a delicate pinpoint mousse.” WA

A. Margaine Brut Rose NV - $49.99 – 93 pts Vinous – Vinous’ highest-rated Brut Rose under $50 in the past two years! “The NV Brut Rosé is positively stellar. The blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir (including 5% still Pinot) works so well here in giving the wine a real sense of proportion that is impossible to miss. In tasting, the Brut Rosé is crisp and taut, but also has more than enough depth to balance things out. Bright red berry fruit and perfumed floral notes race out of the glass, with beams of saline intensity that lend shape through to the salivating finish. Dosage is 9 grams per liter.”


Or reply. The wine will be available Wednesday in both stores, as ordered.