We kicked off celebration season big time this week: with a lovely open house for our club members, and the arrival of some of our favorite Champagnes.

It's a special drop, both in rarity and value. We have talents we only see once a year – Lassaigne, Agrapart, Courtin, Savart, Bourgeois-Diaz! – along with a handful of inspired bottles priced for dinner party season.

FROM THE ICONS

AGRAPART

An important release for the seminal Avize estate Agrapart & Fils, which has been divided between the two brothers, Pascal and Fabrice. Pascal Agrapart kept the estate vineyards and continues under the Pascal Agrapart banner, with style and range essentially unchanged. It's always a thrilling annual release.

MARIE COURTIN

Dominique Moreau is one of the first biodynamic growers who focused on single vineyard, single varietal wines without dosage in Champagne – well before it was in the conversation. We've been lucky to have her wines on our shelf since we opened, and her explosive annual fall release just landed with most of her top wines – including Presence which we haven't seen in 2 years. 

JACQUES LASSAIGNE

Jacques Lassaigne covers a special corner of Champagne, in chalky Montgueux. The only problem? We barely see the wines anymore, especially his experimental cuvées. This very small but equally special drop includes his still wines (not seen in three years), his top parcellaire wines, and cuvées we've never seen: two different rosés, one from Clos Saint Sophie (a walled, chalk-rich site with old vines at the heart of the hill) and a NV estate blend.

FRÉDÉRIC SAVART

Fred Savart's hyper-detailed, thrilling Champagnes really need no introduction in the category of culty grower Champagne; his low intervention approach was a gateway for many of us. A new release from the king of Écueil just landed, and there are already just touches left of his Bulle de Rosé, Les Noues and Écueil-Trepail bottlings.

BOURGEOIS-DIAZ

The wines of Jérôme Bourgeois have perhaps sit more quietly on our shelves since day one, but are no less category-defining than Fred's. His work also defined the early aughts transformation of grower Champagne, converting family vines to biodynamics and seeing the results in textured, layered expressions of his Pinot Meunier-driven estate in Vallée de la Marne. The whole lineup is here, including his newest ONDES: an earthy Pinot Noir that sees long élevage in amphora.

GEMS UNDER $70

DOMAINE MÉA

We're excited to see this arrive after an inspired visit to their Montagne de Reims address. For the price, it's hard to beat the work. They've farmed around the entire Montagne for almost a century; the wines are now made by Gilbert Méa's great granddaughter Sophie. L'Assemblage is 70/30 Pinot/Chardonnay, aged on the lees in enameled vat for 10 months. $55

G. WANNER

Not to be overlooked – this is a négoce wine made by one of the most exciting young talents in Champagne: Pierre Hugot. Better known for his rising star Champagne Hélène, he honed his winemaking at Comte Liger-Belair, Chavy-Chouet, at Roulot. 100% Sézanne Chardonnay with 20% reserve from prior vintages. Taut, chalky, awesome. $65

MATTHIEU GODMÉ-GUILLAUME

Working in the Grand Cru village of Verzenay, Matthieu is farming family vines with a focus on conservation and biodiversity. His V.V.V. is Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blended with about 45% reserve wine, aged in oak (from trees hand picked by Matthieu!) for depth and spice. A lovely, layered bottle that sits nicely on a holiday table. $70

AURORE CASANOVA

Aurore's wines mark one of the most delicious and diverse debuts from any new grower this year. Along with her husband, she's farming organically and leaning on native fermentations to make site-specific wines from a range of Grand Cru terroirs. Picked at full phenolic ripeness and aged in wood, the wines are dense, powerful, incredibly priced. $66+

CHAMPAGNE CHAVOST

A bottle that re-appears on our shelves with every release. Fabian Daviaux's naturally-made Champagne is sourced from a small co-op of growers in tiny Chavot-Courcourt (also home to Laherte Frères). A pure and textured expression of 50/50 Chardonnay/Pinot Meunier, completely vinified in stainless steel and without the use of sulfur. $60

GASTON CHIQUET

Based in the Grand Cru village of Aÿ, Nicolas Chiquet favors concentrated fruit and malolactic fermentation over the use of oak to achieve texture and depth in his wines. This is a later disgorgement of his Tradition bottling, 45/35/20 Pinot Meunier/Chardonnay/Pinot Noir with a high thread count and quince-scented aromatics. And, it's Premier Cru for $55