Coteaux Champenois

[Otto_Forsberg]

Otto, how many of the list I posted have you tasted before you decide they don’t make any sense?

Let’s see, of those only Déhu and Horiot. At 32€ Horiot has been just lovely, but definitely not a wine I’d pay +50€. I’ve tried both white and red Déhu Noyers, but wasn’t particularly thrilled. However, they were from 2011, so I’d be happy to re-visit them from a better vintage.

However, I’ve tried Paul Bara, Herbert Beaufort, Françoise Bedel, Bourgeois-Diaz, Dehours, Les Freres Mignon, J.M. Goulard, Jean Moreau, Jacques Lassaigne and Roger Pouillon. Some great wines and some less than great wines there. Can’t really say I’d be happy to dish out +50€ for any of them.

I’m also going to a tasting next week where we’ll have Coteaux from Dehours, Robert Moncuit, Jacques Lassaigne, Marc Hebrart, Laurent-Perrier, Drappier, Philipponnat, Fleury, Bourgeois-Diaz and Christophe Lefevre. I promise to report if I think any of those wines would make sense at prices noticeably above 50€.

Finally, which one was this Pascal producer you mentioned? I know probably a dozen producers that are Pascal something or something Pascal, but not a single one that would be just “Pascal”.

[Russell_Faulkner]

I guess once you impose ideas of value into things it gets very variable, generally I’m more than happy to pay Eur 50+ for a great wine though.

For your tasting next week my money would be on Lassaigne, as an aside his 2014 Autour de Minuit is a stunner.

[Jayson_Cohen]

I failed to remember above that Egly’s rouge is really good. But I tried it on someone else’s dime.

[Andrew_Bair]

We’re definitely not seeing Coteaux Champenois at these prices over here, or I certainly would have tried some sooner.

Is it because the selection emphasizes only the expensive producers or because you’re just being charged exorbitant prices? Or is there for reason bigger demand than on this side of the pond?

Even at the prices shown in the site I shared I’m not always sure whether the Coteaux Champs are really worth the prices, as they can be quite simple little wines. At noticeably higher prices they really don’t make any sense.

I would guess it’s the limited selection and that the importers who do bring in a Coteaux Champ or two are not bringing any others in. For example, Philliponnat’s sparkling Champagnes are not difficult to find here, but I’m never seen a CC from them. The only retailer who sells the Geofrrey Cumieres Rouge that ships to Massachusetts has the 2009 for $70, whereas Geoffrey’s sparkling Champagnes are widely available at local retailers, and I’ve even seen their Ratafia in the Boston area.

If these two wines were available here for the same prices as the site that you provided, I’d certainly buy a bottle of each and give them a try.