MAY 2025
It isn't often that you get an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of something great. We had that opportunity recently when we stumbled across a producer we had never heard of or tasted. At the annual Spring Champagne event there is always an plethora of producers. Some that are well known, some that aren't worth talking about and the rare undiscovered gem. The above picture is the exact moment when young winemaker Antoine Bouval invited us to taste his first cuvées he had ever released.
For years his family had been growing grapes and selling them to the co-op in town. His dad was the head winemaker and he had been studying winemaking with his family. They had bought an old plot of vines and had converted to farming it organically with the idea of creating their own label for the first time. Though his dad who had been the winemaker of the family now tasked Antoine, the new generation, to take the wheel of this project.
The results were phenomenal and even though a buzz spread quickly about these wines through the hall we were able to strike a deal to have exclusive access in the United States. This is a return to their first release from the vintages 2018 and 2019. The latter is a year that is quickly going down as maybe the best of a generation and 2018 was special in its own right. These are the absolute last bottles that exist anywhere. We were able to secure just enough to share with you and are honored to be able to highlight the new generation of champagne makers as they rise to stardom.
This month we share two wines from Champagne Durdon Bouval with you. The first is the Les Sablons from 2019. It is 100% Meunier from organically farmed 40 year old vines. It is unfined and unfiltered with low intervention winemaking, letting the terroir and vintage quality show through. Oft times these are buzz words for trendy wines. This is anything but trendy. Well made, beautifully balanced and a joy to drink.
The second wine is the Vinicella Reserve, a wine released in tiny amounts. It is a blend of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Meunier with three years resting on the lees in the cellar. It is from the 2018 vintage but the same village and vineyard. It will be a real fun thing to gather a few friends and try these side by side. To see the true impact of vintage variation. 2018 was very high quality but very different that 2019. To try them side by side is a master class in vintage variation from a young star blooming.
For more information about Durdon Bouval visit their website
For more information on the wines click below