Ambonnay is holy ground for Champagne. Éric Rodez is currently making some of our favorite expressions of this Grand Cru.

However, Rodez's work in a renowned terroir is only half of the story. Another important piece is his experience working with Krug.

The Krug connection feels very important. Most immediately, it comes across in the way that Rodez's wines combine power, depth, and refinement. Like Krug, in Rodez's Champagnes you get a very adept use of wood. Also, like Krug, Rodez is obsessed with vinifying parcels separately and then blending. Out of his 36 parcels, he vinifies 60 different wines.

We first offered Éric Rodez's champagnes seven years ago and have followed the wines closely even longer than that. Recently, the staff was blown away by a 2008 Les Beurys & Les Secs.

A few weeks ago, we tasted the Blanc de Noir non-vintage and bought every bottle that we could. It's an astonishing champagne for the price.

The Blanc de Noir has an incredible amount of nuance, elegance and refined texture. There's a really nice cut to the wine that pulls everything into an inviting total package. Finding this amount of harmony, delicacy, and class in a champagne at this price is practically unheard of.

The wine really gives you a sense of what a skillful winemaker Rodez is. He works very hard to render his Pinot based champagnes with presence and complexity along with levity and fine-ness. To this end, Rodez is obsessed with his farming methods. He also utilizes barrel fermentation and blocked malolactic fermentation.

When you ask Champagne fanatics about the greatest Grand Crus, the answer is always the same: Mesnil, Cramant, Äy, Verzenay and Ambonnay. Rodez's Blanc de Noir non-vintage shows Ambonnay in full regal glory. This is a don't miss.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Ian McFadden

Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits