The Force of Chalk:
2018 Bazin Champagne Blanc de Blancs l'Exigeante

Champagne rock-heads take notice; this is one mineral bottle of Champagne.

While the tiny, family-run estate of Noël Bazin is often overlooked in the rather glossy world of Champagne, Bazin's micro-production bottlings remain some of the greatest deals out there. (Crush veterans may remember an email from a few years ago titled, "The Greatest $35 Grower Champagne"?)

For the impending new year, however, we focus on one of the estate's smallest-production bottlings from a single, miniscule, 0.3-hectare, old-vine parcel in the Montagne de Reims: "l'Exigeante."

If it's sometimes said that great Blanc de Blancs represent "Burgundy with bubbles," for Bazin's "l'Exigeante" we'd sharpen this statement: This is Chablis with bubbles.

While Bazin's Champagnes often flaunt an uncommon vinous density, the "l'Exigeante" is perhaps the most focused, most linear and cutting bottling they produce.

It is simply thrilling.

At as low as $69.95 on the three-pack, the price is thrilling too. This is an epic value, a forceful treatise on the rigor, mineral, and incisiveness of the top Blanc de Blancs of the Montagne de Reims.

In fact, if the Montagne de Reims is famous for Pinot Noir, here, the village of Villers-Marmery is unique: This is a tiny oasis of stunningly vibrant Chardonnay. The village's vineyards are essentially the eastern face of the mountain, among the coolest in this place, shaping wines of density and cut.

In the great 2018 vintage, these eastern-facing slopes, along with the dense chalk of the Paris Basin, resulted in grapes and wines of profound freshness, and serious drive and lift.

Noël and Magali Bazin farm less than four hectares in total; nothing they make is in great quantity. However, today's single-vineyard, single-vintage bottling is one of their rarest - only a bit more than 100 bottles of this cuvée made it to the U.S.

Holiday or no holiday: Do not delay!

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

Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits

Special 3-pack price for a limited time.  Use Code L'Exigeante18