Dear Artisans,
We're proud to have caught another Champagne Unicorn for you, but we're already almost sold out of it!
Meet your new best friend, Champagne d'Armanville Brut NV. You may fondly remember the long-sold-out "Baby Bollinger" Decotanne Brut NV we offered last year. We worked with the same importer to track down another absurdly low-priced-yet-excellent Champagne from the same little-known region in the southernmost part of Champagne.
Most Champagne regions are within the Marne département (by Reims and Épernay), but 2 hours away lies the most southern and underestimated AOC region: the Côte des Bar in the Aube. This "black sheep of Champagne" has exploded in growth over the past decade; the total vineyard area has grown by nearly 20% since 2000 and now makes up almost a quarter of the entire Champagne region.
The Côte des Bar is not some new kid on the block—for about 125 years, they've grown grapes for all the massive negociant 'big guys' up north. You know those iconic labels you've seen all your life, on every shelf, everywhere.
Why is the price so low?
The thing is, this region was treated as second-class for decades—literally. Because they were closer to Burgundy, they were sadly viewed as foreign 'southerners' that could not produce true Champagne by the aristocratic bigwigs of the Marne. Residents of Reims and Epernay proudly felt they were the true 'Champenoise' and pushed to exclude the Aube from the official classification of the Champagne region in 1908. This caused the Côte des Bar growers to riot and protest, only to be classified as a "Champagne deuxième (second...) zone" until 1927.
Worse yet, none of their vineyards were designated Grand Cru or even Premier Cru. This answers why the price is so 'cheap' and why we must be bullish. Right. NOW.
Now we understand how a 125-year-old chip on the shoulder gives the Côte des Bar producers an unrelenting drive to prove themselves. As a result of their risk-taking nature, we greatly benefit from their artisanal, experimental, terroir-driven Champagne culture at confoundingly low prices.
Created in 1956 thanks to the combined talents of some fifty winegrowers, Chassenay d'Arce Cooperative has continuously developed the quality of its blends and takes pride in now representing 130 winegrowers, which in total have 310 hectares in the Côtes de Bar, south of Champagne. These 310 hectares, across ten distinct villages, are all located in the same valley, which ensures consistency and quality and is rare for a cooperative. Champagne d'Armanville draws its name from this story: An illustrious winemaker, talented oenologist, and travel enthusiast from Champagne's Arce Valley traveled the world with the desire to share his expertise and his passion. During one of his trips to America, he met Lady d'Armanville, with whom he fell madly in love. She loved Champagne, so the winemaker decided to make an exceptional wine just for her, a "grand vin" (with bubbles), and hence d'Armanville Champagne was born.
I ordered BIG to pass the savings on to you, but I must repeat my warning about imports: don't count on any decent quantity being available by the end of this year.
Today's offer was wordy—but you know it had to be. Thank you for reading, and order quickly, as our last 5 cases will be gone before Father's Day!
All my best,
—James
