Guy Charlemagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagne

Every time I pop the cork of this beauty, I think about my very first sip of it. 

I was in Paris with four people I just met at a good wine shop in the 14th arrondissement. We end up in the 6th at a tiny boîte one of them, a fashion publicist named Sidonie, tells us about. As soon as we sit down, a waiter arrives with a bottle of Guy Charlemagne Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru. He pops and pours it for Sidonie, who he recognizes as a loyal patron of the restaurant. She tastes it, thrusts her glass into the air, and shouts, “Champagne time!”

Ever since then, every bottle of this Champagne says to me exactly that.

Guy Charlemagne’s son, Philippe, represents the fifth generation of a Champagne family in the Côte des Blancs village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The Charlemagnes have 15 hectares of vineyards in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, about 90% of which they devote to Chardonnay. With the best of his Grand Cru Chardonnay vines, Philippe makes this Blanc de Blanc Champagne — a beauty characterized by its rich inviting texture and bracing chalky minerality.

Guy Charlemagne Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru is for me the quintessential Chardonnay Champagne, as exhilarating today as it was the night I first tasted it in that tiny boîte with Sidonie. Elegant, vivacious, and aromatically complex, with a palateful of orchard, citrus, and honey flavors. Made with a light dosage of eight grams per liter, which impart the Champagne with a deft culinary versatility. After we drank that first bottle of Charlemagne, Sidonie asked the waiter for a second, along with five separate plates of appetizers. The Charlemagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs was perfect with every one of them.

It’s difficult to think of a more gracious way to greet friends and family than with this Charlemagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs. Wherever you go, whoever they are, you’d be giving them the gift of Champagne time. A gift you’ll also want to give yourself.

Critical Acclaim:

“Bright yellow. Ripe pear and white peach on the fragrant nose, with complicating notes of honey, buttered toast, jasmine and iodine building in the glass. Supple and broad in the mouth, offering juicy pit and orchard fruit flavors and a bracing jolt of bitter orange zest. Finishes on a leesy note, with excellent thrust and lingering florality.” — Vinous, 93 points

“This Champagne is made exclusively from the Charlemagne holdings in grand cru vineyards of the Côte des Blancs. With the classic steely edge that is balanced by a softer dosage, the wine is both fruity and structured. The bottling is ready although it is sure to develop some delicious mature flavors.” — Wine Enthusiast, 93 points