Liébart-Régnier -- Cuvée Excélia 2015

This Champagne is one in a million. Only made in exceptional years, and always made in a vintage style. Most sparkling wine is NV/Non-Vintage, meaning it’s a blend of grapes from many different years. It’s surprisingly hard to make good bubbles, so when you get a full year of perfect grapes – THAT is when vintage champagne can happen.

One of only a handful of producers in Champagne who grow their own grapes on estate vineyards, Liébart-Régnier earns the prestigious “grower Champagne” title. While the winery itself was founded in 1960 by Lucien Liébart and Georgette Régnier, their two families have been working the land for 7 generations, and identify as “country people through and through.” Laurent & Valérie, along with their daughters Alexandra & Marion proudly make the family estate’s Champagnes today. With a strong belief that they are simply borrowing the land from future generations, they feel a duty to respect and protect it. To put this philosophy into practice, they achieved level 3 HVE (French High Environmental Value) certification in 2015. This is official recognition of the winegrowers’ environmental efforts in three areas: their biodiversity footprint, carbon footprint and water footprint. Their mindfulness continues into the winery, where they work with an independent wine advisor to make their champagnes using traditional methods, and with as few additives as possible.

Grape: Pinot Noir 75%, Chardonnay 25%

Region: Baslieux-sous-Châtillon, Champagne, France

Farming: HVE & VDC Certified

Winery: Aged 6 years on the lees in stainless, MLF, 5g/L dosage