Collard-Greffier Growers Brut Champagne

Collard-Greffier Growers Brut Champagne

Collard-Greffier Growers Brut Champagne Round, intense notes of yellow fruit on the nose continue on the palate, along with pleasant flavors of honey, brioche and dried apricots. It is bold and generous, maintaining concentration of flavor and freshness, with a long and toasted finish.

To the eye, the color is pale gold highlighted by sparkling and noticeably pink reflections. Aromas of fleshy fruit, mirabelle plum and peach. This panel

is completed by notes of, fig and a fine touch of roasted coffee. The attack on the palate is carried by a lively bubble and by the subtle aromas of red berries and green apple. On the palate, the suave and sweet attack brings aromatic richness.

When people ask me about Champagne, I tell them to forget what they think they know and to ignore any brand recognition that comes to mind. My rationale is simple: in wine, and particularly Champagne, the big names all come with hefty price tags, and part of what you pay for is to cover advertising costs. That is just a fact. The secret I tell my customers is to focus on small domains that make high quality Champagne at wonderful prices. These wines are very hard to find, but oh so worth the search. Most never make it to America. The best way to do this is to carefully examine the label. There are two tiny letters that appear on either the front label or rear labels. These letters will indicate whether the Champagne was produced by a large négociant, or whether it was crafted by one of the smaller, independent growers that literally control every production aspect “from the vine to the wine.”  So what are the letters to look for?  They’re NM (négociant-manipulant) and RM (récoltant-manipulant). Bu t let’s simplify it for you, think of NM as “not mine” and RM: as “really mine.”  

The RM Champagnes are also known as Grower’s Champagnes and they represent stunning quality at exceptional prices. These are the pride of France and thus, never make it outside of the country. Ace Champagne critic Ed McCarthy, who has written hundreds of articles on the region, breaks down the reasons for why most Grower’s Champagnes stay in France, “The whole idea of a grower independently making its own Champagne from the grapes it grows seems a lot more romantic than a huge company buying grapes from many sources and producing a vast amount of branded Champagne.  But the reality is that most Grower Champagnes are sold in France; in fact, much of these Champagnes are sold at the grape farmers’ cellar doors.  Many French citizens make an annual trip to their favorite grower(s) to buy Champagne and drive off with it in the trunks of their cars.

Many of you love the Haslinger Champagne that we offer at this price point. The problem is it always sells out and we go through months at a time without any to offer. We have been on the hunt for almost a year to find another Champagne to offer that’s the same quality and same price. We have finally found it, the Collard-Freffier Growers Brut Champagne is outstanding quality, everything you look for and the price is right $29.99. Owned by the Greffier family, they have twenty small vineyards with an average of vine of 50 years.  The Champagne house has been owned by the same family for 3 generations. For under $30 you cannot do better. You never see hard core real deal French Champagne for under $30. This is an absolute steal!  Champagne is one of the most versatile  wines you can put on a table, if you are not sure what to serve, serve Champagne, it works every time. Enjoy