Fabrice Gass’s winery is as much a time capsule as it is a production facility: 100-year-old barrels stacked two stories high, and an underground cellar that snakes beneath his house.

Gass himself—who disgorges wines by hand without hesitation—should be an ambassador for the village of Damery. His cellar is here, his 1.5 ha of vines are here, and even “DMY” is an ode to his hometown. I visited this past spring, when an afternoon in the vineyards stretched into an evening at the winery where countless bottles were disgorged with the larger-than-life vigneron.

His wines have arrived, bottled under his personal Alexandre Filaine label. With a cult-like status, fans should be thrilled with the latest shipments. And, newcomers who love all things sparkling should dive headfirst into this iconoclastic work. — Chris

It’s well documented that Gass’s longtime day job was at Bollinger—on the cellar/winemaking team—and he was still there when his personal wines were first imported to the U.S. When he wasn't at his day job, he focused on his tiny 1.5ha of organically farmed vines, many of which stare at the Marne river (like his neighbor, Vincent Laval in Cumières); and that work has now become his full time commitment.

From Bollinger he inherited old barrels, and he prides himself on bringing life back to very old wood—with some barrels well over 80-100 years. They are core to his winery where the old way of making Champagne is the word: traditional vertical press, fermentation and élevage in those venerable barrels, hand riddling, and hand disgorgement. It's a regimen as old and unseen as his barrels:

Centenarian barrels and bottles waiting to be disgorged; Fabrice in action; disgorgement leftovers.

But when the wines are this good, why change? And though the scale couldn’t be any different than Bollinger, I can’t help seeing the gutsy Grand Marque’s signature in his wines (like the incredible bottle Fabrice shared with us, below). In a marvelously more driven, mouthwatering way.

There's a reason these wines are clamored after, and I’m grateful to have seen the work behind them in person. 

Alexandre Filaine Cuvee Speciale Brut, Champagne, France (2022-2021), $135

Alexandre Filaine 'DMY' Brut, Champagne, France (2019-2020), $175

2018 Alexandre Filaine 'Cuvee Sensuum Vertigo' Brut, Champagne, France, $300

Alexandre Filaine Cuvee Speciale Brut, Champagne, France (2022-2021) 1.5L Magnum, $300

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Fabrice Gass; and Chris with Fabrice's dog, who is as charming as his owner.