Saint Chamant is the Champagne equivalent of a mother’s hug. Warm, tender, reassuring. The familiar and classic profile gives easy pleasure, with impressively farmed fruit that puts an extra portion on your plate. There is very long bottle aging before disgorgement which gives it a more developed, exotic profile. I love it.

Champagne Saint-Chamant was established in 1930 by Pierre and Hélène Coquillette. Their son, Christian, took over the estate in 1950 and led the production for an impressive 70 years. After Christian passed away in 2020, his son Stéphane succeeded him as the third generation, committed to carrying on the long traditions that have been established here.

Located in Épernay, the house's unsigned, unassuming exterior in no way hints at its labyrinthine cellar, built in the early 19th century, which is a mile long — and lined with hundreds of thousands of carefully aging Champagne bottles. Saint-Charmant specializes primarily in Blanc de Blancs with more than 28 acres of Chardonnay vineyards in the Chouilly Grand Cru. The house also crafts a limited amount of rosé made with a small percentage of Pinot Meunier grown on a ½-hectare plot in Épernay. Stéphane is a firm believer in extended lees aging, and he disgorges only once the wines have been ordered.

All Saint Chamant Champagnes are of a distinctive style and sophisticated quality, reflecting the elegance and refinement that is the estate hallmark. They display a heady, old-time richness and vinosity with extremely fine bubbles.

93Wine Spectator

Fine and creamy on the palate, this rich Champagne offers flavors of poached peach, lemon curd, pastry dough and hazelnut defined by a firm spine of finely knit acidity. White blossom and oyster shell notes play on the long, lacy finish. A textbook blanc de blanc. Drink now through 2030.