Last month, several colleagues from Berry Bros. & Rudd embarked on a whirlwind tour of Champagne. During the course of a productive, if unseasonably chilly, week together, they discovered new partners, unlocked potential for our Asian markets, and reinforced existing relationships. Here, Champagne Buyer Davy Zyw explains more.
It was a pleasure to once again have my feet back on the deep chalk soils of Champagne’s Marne region. I’m always inspired by the calibre of producers we work with here: as many of you know, this is a place rich with beauty, history, and varied terroir.
Yet despite its wealth of quality and diversity, it is a region often appreciated through far too narrow a lens. Even in 2024, there is more to be found, both in the commercial and the natural landscape of Champagne. The views of the region are beautiful, if not as dramatic as some wine regions. But there is plenty of magic, both above ground and below.
It’s a region of exuberant characters, of some of the wine world’s most treasured stories. Its vineyards’ roots, deep in the chalky bedrock, are capable of some of the world’s greatest wines.
Sampling new artisan Champagne
We tasted some outstanding wines during our visits. The current base vintages are on a roll of podium-worthy quality: solar 2018s, intense 2019s and focused 2020s. One of Champagne’s many traits is its capacity to age, and some producers are still releasing back-vintages: we tasted confident 2014s, small-yielding 2015s and 2016s,
This Article was originally published on Barry's Wine Blog
