Ernest Remy, Blanc de Noirs, Grand Cru, $56

This house dates back to 1883 when Isabey Remy and his wife Zélia Dubois, both children of winegrowers, founded Champagne Remy-Dubois in the village of Mailly-Champagne, in the Montagne de Reims.

The name was changed to Ernest Remy when their grandson took over 1927. Generations later, Alice Thomine, great-granddaughter of the founders, happened to meet Swiss-born fellow art historian, Tarek Berrada in Switzerland. They discovered a shared passion in the family heritage and in piecing back together the legend of Ernest Remy, but in their own style. “With the help of my wife Alice, I brought this family Champagne house back to life in order to share rich history and unique expertise,” Tarek notes. They relaunched the business in 2008 and today they have 15 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards in Mailly-Champagne and Verzenay. This Blanc de Noirs is 100% Pinot Noir from Mailly-Champagne. It gets about seven grams per liter dosage and is aged a minimum of 36 months in their vaulted limestone cellars, allowing the aromas and flavors to fully develop, producing a well-balanced and complex wine. Ernest Remy Champagnes are known for their freshness, purity, and elegance and this one is very expressive, with aromas of ripe orchard fruit and almonds and flavors of white fruit and citrus, with wonderful chalky minerality. It would be great on its own, or paired with seafood or white meat dishes.