Champagne Discovery
beyond the bubbles
CHAMPAGNE IN NUMBERS
CHAMPAGNE AOC
34,300 hectares
319 villages (crus)
280,000 plots (lieux-dits)
15,700 growers
4,700 récoltants
390 négociants
125 coopératives
CHAMPAGNE IN NUMBERS
GRAPES
Pinot Noir 38%
Chardonnay 31%
Meunier 31%
Historic varieties <0.4%
Arbane, Fromenteau, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc
CHAMPAGNE IN NUMBERS
BEST MODERN VINTAGES
1982
1985
1988
1996
2002
2008
2012
ABOUT US
We are Gita and Lee, two self-confessed champagne lovers for whom this effervescent drink has been a huge part of our lives since meeting twenty-seven years ago. Our first trip to the region was in 1999 to source bottles for our wedding. Since then, we have been visiting several times a year, have tasted thousands of champagnes and continue to discover amazing new producers, incredible wines and stories. We are immensely passionate about the top quality smaller domaines who tell a narrative through their creations, from vineyard to bottle. As well as the bubbles, Champagne is home to some excellent still white, red and rosés too; not to forget Ratafia and Marc de Champagne. This famous region is fortunate to be home to a myriad of World class winemakers, producing an array of diverse wines, we really are spoilt for choice. We love wine, we absolutely adore champagne!
Tchin tchin!
Champagne of the Month
DOMAINE DE BICHERY
En Charme de Fin 2019
Our “Champagne of the Month” for July 2025 is produced by Domaine de Bichery, located in Neuville-sur-Seine in the Côte des Bar. The name for the domaine is taken from the lieu-dit “Bichery” where the family home is situated among this excellent estate.
Raphaël Piconnet begun his œnology studies at the Lycée Viticole in Beaune, Burgundy, continuing his studies in Switzerland before joining a large conventional chateau in Bordeaux. He returned to Neuville-sur-Seine with wife Hannah in 2013, taking 6 plots of the family estate. They produced their first wines in 2016 and were quickly picked up by Aline and Eric at Au Bon Manger (now Atôme) in Reims who have long had a reputation for discovering the latest talent. Organic conversion began in 2016 with the first certified harvest being 2019, annual production is around 20,000 bottles. The family estate profits from grandfather Charles’ massal selection from his own plots. Massal selection is effectively where cuttings are taken from existing vine stock for replanting and growing new vines. This allows the estate to continue growing original vines rather than buying clonal varieties and Raphaël still uses bud wood from these original vines.
“En Charme de Fin” is a vintage wine coming from the domaine’s first organic harvest in 2019 with harvesting taking place on the 6th September. It consists entirely of Chardonnay from each of the 6 plots in Neuville-sur-Seine where the soil is clay-limestone Kimmeridgian. Vinification was carried out in a 60%/40% mix of old fûts de chêne and cuve inox with spontaneous fermentation. Malolactic fermentation was allowed to occur naturally and the wine was neither fined nor filtered. The wine was disgorged in April 2022 without dosage and sealed with a natural cork; alcohol is at 12.5% abv. Bottle number 507 of 850.
Tasted 19:25 Monday 30th June 2025 (root day in the lunar calendar)
Glassware: Chef and Sommelier – Reveal’Up ‘Intense’
Appearance: Clear, medium, gold.
Characteristics: Pronounced intensity with primary aromas of honeysuckle, jasmine, orange blossom, pear, pear drops, quince, green apple, Chiku, pink grapefruit, lemon juice, lemon rind, lemon sherbet, orange juice, orange rind, pineapple, honeydew melon, lychee, passion fruit, star anise and mint. There are secondary notes of pineapple tarte tartin, brioche, biscuits Palmier, butterscotch, pineapple fudge and toast. Tertiary aromas include almond, hazelnut, marzipan, toffee apple, marmalade, dried apricot, dried apple, cinnamon, ginger, hay and honey.
Price circa €80.00
We have been following Domaine de Bichery from the early days and their wines are always a pleasure – vibrant, edgy and lip-smackingly delicious.
tchin tchin
WHAT'S IN OUR GLASS
Some of the most recent wines we have been enjoying.
Tchin tchin!
And now for something a little different - champagne without the bubbles!
Moutardier - Le Breuil Rouge 2022 (meunier)
Barnaut - Bouzy Rouge 2012 (Pinot Noir)
Marc Augustin - Lune Rouge (Pinot Noir)
George Rémy - Les Vaudayants 2019 (Pinot Noir)
Marc Augustin - Lune Rousse (Chardonnay)
La Borderie - Les Devoix 2020 (Pinot Noir)
Gonet-Médeville - Cuvée Athénaïs (Pinot Noir)
Famille Moutard - Rosé des Riceys 2013 (Pinot Noir)
Geoffroy - Cumières Rouge (Pinot Noir)