Grower Champagne

Grower and a few small non-Growers who are Grower-like in attitude

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Most of Champagne's 15,000 grape grower have sold their grapes to coops or big Champagne Houses like Roederer, Moet and Chandon,  and Veuve Clicquot. Today they are increasingly producing Champagne, bottling under their own label. Not every Grower Champagne is available outside of France or worth exporting, but there are a lot of wonderful Grower Champagnes available and many of them are great deals. There is just something about drinking this farmer fizz: it has a lot of personality, displays terroir most other Champagne does not and can not, and is just fun to drink! Here are our articles on Grower Champagnes and many of our favorites that are somewhat widely available outside of France.

All About Grower Champagnes - All about "Farmer Fizz"

Jacques Selosse Tasting - May 2013, New York City, including all his Lieux-Dits. Simply Amazing!

Vilmart Grand Cellier, Couer de Cuvee & Cuvee Creation Tasting - Jan 2012 - Can I just say Wow! A array of 90+ point Champagnes

Champagne Agrapart - Bottling their own Champagnes in the Côte de Blancs since the late 1800s.

Aubry Champagne - Unique Champagnes that not only use the main three grapes, but also "ancient" varieties still allowed by French Law: Pinot Blanc, Fromenteau (Pinot Gris), Petit Mesilier, and Arbanne.

Champagne Paul Bara - 11acres in Bouzy, 100% Grand Cru, and Pinot Noir dominated. Powerful yet delicate, dry yet rich, lots of minerals - very Bouzy.

Champagne Barnaut - Big powerful Pinot Noir dominated fun wines from Bouzy!

Andre Beaufort Champagne - Intense and beautiful biodynamic juice.

Cedric Bouchard - Very vinuous single vineyard/single varietal Champagnes that break the mold!

Boulard Champagne - The family has been growing grapes since 1792!

Canard-Duchêne - A small negociant making Pinot Noir dominant wines in the Montage de Reims.

Chartogne-Taillet - Importer Thierry Thiese's 'most exciting young producer in Champagne'

Ulysse Collin Champagne - A rising star in Champagne, whose wines are as naturally as practical and moving towards full biodynamic.

Andre Clouet Champagne - A small grower and producer with a choice piece of land who have been doing their thing since the time of Napoleon.

Gaston Chiquet Champagne - Wines with a lot of character that rocked my world! I immediately ordered more.

Champagne Roger Coulon - With 9 Hectares in Montagne de Reims, this family run vineyard has been growing grapes and making wines for 8 generations.

Diebolt-Vallois -  a small producer in Cramant known for their Blanc de blancs. Technically a negociant and they buy grapes from family and a small amount of Pinot Noir from a friend in Bouzy.

Jacques Defrance - A small grower producer in the South of Champagne. Their Brut Prestige is a steal!

Champagne François Diligent - In the far south,  a brand new, revamped, and interesting lineup including an interesting 100% Pinot Blanc!

Dosnon & Lepage - A new artisan producer with fascinating wines. I'm impressed! Technically a negociant.

Egly-Ouriet Champagne - One of the original Grower Champagnes - rich and full bodied.

Claude Genet Champagne - Light & Lively Elegant Blanc de blancs.

Rene Geoffroy - Serious red grape dominated fruity and fun Champagnes.

Pierre Gimonnet - Stylish refined Côte des Blancs wines with well integrated minerality. Mainly Blanc de blancs.

Henri Giraud - A Small Grower, although technically a Negociant, in Aÿ

Gonet-Medeville - A Small Grower-Producer in Bisseuil making both fun and serious wines. I like 'em!

Henri Goutorbe - Big, Bold, Fruity, delicious Pinot Noir dominated Champagnes.

Marc Hebrart Champagne - Wines that are both very much fun to drink and intellectually interesting. I have another bottle in my fridge to try as I type this.

Janisson-Baradon - a grower producer based in Epernay with 9 hectares of vines.

Laherte-Freres - Natural, low dosage, terroir driven wines with lots of old vine Pinot Meunier as well as several Blanc de blancs bottlings.

Guy Larmandier - Chardonnay based wines from the Cote des Blancs of "notable elegance and personality."

Champagne Larmandier-Bernier - Larmandier-Bernier is a biodynamic producer with almost 15 hectares, primarily Grand Crus in the Côte des Blancs.

Jacques Lassaigne Champagne - Although technically a negociant, this family run organic house makes kick ass wines that are serious, fruit forward and classy.

J Lassalle - Elegant yet big and opulent wine with lots of concentration.

David Leclapart Champagne - David Leclapart is a stunning small biodynamic producer of Champagne.

Marie-Noelle Ledru Champagne - An ultra tiny producer based in Ambonnay  that some critics go crazy over.

Lilbert-Fils Champagne -Very age worthy Blanc de blancs from a tiny Champagne property.

Champagne Nicolas Maillart - 8.5 Hectares in Montagne de Reims and elegant Pinot Noir based wines.

Champagne A Margaine - 'Some of the most hauntingly beautiful and original Champagnes
you’ll ever drink' - Thierry Theise.

Champagne Jean Milan - Great Blanc de blancs from Oger in the Côte de Blancs.

Champagne Moutardier - A Pinot Meunier Specialist in the village of Le Breuil, west of Epernay, making "Modern Meunier."

Ployez-Jacquemart - A very small negociant with artisanal and intense minerally wines.

Ruppert-Leroy - An exciting small biodynamic grower right on the Burgundy line!

Camille Savès - Kick Butt Bouzy Champagne I love: creamy, plenty of minerals, complex, and just fun to drink!

Jacques Selosse - Perhaps the most unique and individualistic Champagnes that exist, and the dynamic Anselme Selosse may be the most influential man in Champagne as well!

Pehu-Simonet Champagne - An up and coming producer from Verzenay in the Montagne de Reims.

Champagne Tarlant - A producer of primarily (very very nice) zero dosage and also low dosage wines.

Thierry Triolet - Chardonnay based wines from the Côte de Sézanne and good, solid values.

Varnier Fanniere - 4 hectares of Grand Cru Chardonnay in the northern Côte des Blancs.

Vazard-Coquart - A Chouilly, Cotes des Blancs producer making primarily Blanc de blancs.

Veuve Fourny & Fils - A small Grower in Vertus in the Côte des Blanc, making distinctive 100% Vertus wines.

Jean Vesselle - Bouzy style powerful and masculine Pinot Noir dominated wines with the structure of red wine.

Champagne Vilmart - Near cult like status. Love these!

Vouette and Sorbée - Wild wines - Wine first, Champagne second, all biodynamic, from the Aube.

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