Or shall we call it ‘The Richards’ ?! Instead of ‘The Champagne Oscars’ ? We want to sum-up the year of 2023 from a Champagne perspective. In 20+ categories we hand out awards for this years most memorable Champagnes & Champagne related topics!
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‘There are still a few growers who make better champagne than Chartogne-Taillet, but considering the terroir he works with, far from the most famous Grand and Premier cru, his champagnes are currently the most sensational.’
Champagne Club by Richard Juhlin
Historical winners
| 2023 | Alexander Taillet | Chartogne-Taillet | Merfy |
| 2022 | Pierre Larmandier | Larmandier-Bernier | Vertus |
| 2021 | Anselme Selosse | Selosse | Avize |
| 2020 | Nicolas Maillart | Maillart | Éceuil |
Champagne Chartogne-Taillet
Merfy
★★★
Already in the 1600s, Fiacre Taillet was a wine-grower in the small village of Merfy in the Massif de Saint-Thierry planted in mostly sandy soils, while Chartogne-Taillet was formed in 1920. Today, Chartogne-Taillet is still a family business. Alexandre Chartogne run a quality-controlled property with access to very old grapevines—even a little pre-phylloxera rootstock.
Alexandre was educated in Burgundy and has a strong faith in the recipe: low yield equals high quality. He also worked with Anselme Selosse and returned to the family estate in 2006. He took full control the following year, and his influence has elevated the domaine to the top ranks of grower-producers in the region.The grapes come from 11,5 hectares in Merfy, Chenay, and Saint Thierry. Fiacre is a brilliantly refreshing, elastic, potent wine with a deliciously concentrated young fruit. Truly genuine terroir character is, of course, missing but this deficiency is well compensated for by its tart, rich, fruity cannonade. The Clos des Barres is a beautiful and super intense pure Pinot Meunier.
Close to 4 stars today.
CHAMPAGNE CLUB BY RICHARD JUHLIN
