Includes one bottle of each of the following:

Champagne Clandestin ‘Boréal’ Brut Nature Champagne NV
Julien Prélat ‘Presle’ Brut Champagne NV
Champagne L. Aubry et Fils ‘1er Cru’ Brut Champagne NV

Champagne Clandestin ‘Boréal’ Brut Nature NV
Clandestin is the creation of Benoit Doussot, one of the next generation of producers exploring the potential of site-specific Champagne. Unlike many grower-producers who inherited family land, Benoit studied winemaking in Beaune and had no family holdings. In 2015, he began working with small growers who had converted to organics but struggled to find larger houses willing to pay the slightly higher prices needed to support those farming methods. Boréal, made from 100% Pinot Noir, comes from a plot rich in clay and Kimmeridgian limestone. Fermentation relies solely on indigenous yeast, followed by a year of aging in large French oak and another 15 months in bottle. In the glass it’s mineral-driven, with vivid notes of red apple skin, wild berries, citrus peel, and crushed stone. A year in large oak adds subtle depth, while the long, saline finish makes it both elegant and powerful.

Julien Prélat ‘Presle’ Brut Champagne NV
The Champagnes of Julien Prelat are a recent and exciting discovery—and a remarkable value, at least for now. Julien is the third generation to farm his family’s holdings in the Aube, but the first to craft his own Champagnes. Together with his wife, Karine, he farms organically and by hand. A kindred spirit to his friend Cédric Bouchard (another K. LAZ favorite), Julien produces site-specific bottlings from single vintages to showcase the character of unique vineyards. Presle is a beautiful Blanc de Blancs from 18-year-old Chardonnay vines grown on Kimmeridgian limestone. Fermented in stainless steel and aged on its lees in used Burgundy barrels, it’s bottled only when Julien and Karine deem it ready. The result is elegant yet textured, with notes of white flowers, crisp green apple, and apricot.

Champagne L. Aubry et Fils ‘1er Cru’ Brut Champagne NV
When Wine Spectator awards a 90+ rating to a Champagne under $60, it’s worth noting. This crisp Champagne, a blend of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, has a mineral-driven finish. Philippe and Pierre Aubry manage their family estate in the Premier Cru village of Jouy-lès-Reims in the Montagne de Reims, where they’ve been producing wine since 1790. Known for cultivating ancient grape varieties allowed in the Champagne A.O.C., Aubry crafts distinctive wines. The fossil-rich limestone soils give their wines high acidity, balanced by full malolactic fermentation. They also grow all seven legal Champagne varieties, including rare Arbanne, Petit Meslier, and Fromenteau.