Champagne Discovery

beyond the bubbles

Le Champ du Clos, Vallée de l'Ource - Champagne Charles Dufour

CHAMPAGNE IN NUMBERS

CHAMPAGNE AOC

34,300 hectares

319 villages (crus)

280,000 plots (lieux-dits)

15,700 growers

4,700 récoltants

390 négociants

125 coopératives

CHAMPAGNE IN NUMBERS

GRAPES

Pinot Noir 38%

Chardonnay 31%

Meunier 31%

Historic varieties <0.4%

Arbane, Chardonnay Muscadet, Chardonnay Rose, Fromenteau, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc

CHAMPAGNE IN NUMBERS

BEST MODERN VINTAGES

1982

1985

1988

1996

2002

2008

2012

CHAMPAGNE IN NUMBERS

ABOUT US

We are Gita and Lee, two self-confessed champagne lovers for whom this effervescent drink has been a huge part of our lives since meeting twenty-seven years ago. Our first trip to the region was in 1999 to source bottles for our wedding. Since then, we have been visiting several times a year, have tasted thousands of champagnes and continue to discover amazing new producers, incredible wines and stories. We are immensely passionate about the top quality smaller domaines who tell a narrative through their creations, from vineyard to bottle. As well as the bubbles, Champagne is home to some excellent still white, red and rosés too; not to forget Ratafia and Marc de Champagne. This famous region is fortunate to be home to a myriad of World class winemakers, producing an array of diverse wines, we really are spoilt for choice. We love wine, we absolutely adore champagne!

Tchin tchin!

ŒNOTHÈQUE

CHAMPAGNE OF THE MONTH

Champagne of the Month
STÉPHANE REGNAULT
Chromatique

Our “Champagne of the Month” for September 2026 was created by Stéphane Regnault. In 2007 Stéphane returned to the family domaine, located on the Côte des Blancs in the village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger following careers as an aerospace engineer in Paris and a sommelier in London. He released his first wines in 2018 from his 4 hectares estate in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is famed for its shallow soil and thick chalk whereas the soils of Oger are a little richer. Stéphane works organically (certified through OCACIA) eschewing chemical usage and follows biodynamic principles. As far as we can attain, he is not certified. We first tasted his wines at the Apex association during this year’s edition of Printemps and were mightily impressed with the entire range.

Stéphane is a keen jazz saxophonist and all of his wines are named after jazz scale modes. Here we are taking a look at “Chromatique”, so named as it takes fruit from each of the estates plots akin to the chromatic jazz scale that uses all available notes. The base wine is from the 2022 harvest, 45% of which was vinified in stainless steel tanks, 25% in old oak barrels and supported by 30% reserve wines. Of course, it consists entirely of Chardonnay, it undergoes spontaneous fermentation and malolactic conversion occurs naturally. Bottled in August 2023, it was disgorged in June 2025 with a dosage of 2gl and sealed with a natural cork. Stéphane uses lower amounts of sulphur with 22mg/l being added, alcohol is at 12.5% abv

Tasted 16:45 Friday 4th September 2026 (flower day in the lunar calendar)

Glassware: Chef and Sommelier – Reveal’Up ‘Intense’.

Appearance: Clear, pale, lemon.

Characteristics: Pronounced intensity with primary aromas of honeysuckle, chamomile, lemon blossom, lemon juice, lemon rind, orange juice, orange rind, green apple, quince, pear drops, gooseberry, grapefruit, apricot, lychee, mango, honeydew melon, passion fruit, pineapple, mint and dill. There are secondary notes of fresh bread dough, toast, short crust pastry, orange buttercream, pineapple fudge and vanilla. Tertiary aromas include marzipan, hazelnut, caramel, marmalade, dried apricot, nutty, hay and honey.

Price circa €46.00