Champagne from Prevoteaux Perrier

Last week I had the chance to try some well priced and absolutely delicious, terroir-driven, essentially grower Champagne from Prevoteaux Perrier.

I say "essentially" because apparently most but perhaps not every grape in one or both of these bottles is grown by the producer. I'm not sure, but this is close enough for me. Does it really matter?

First is the NV Brut Tradition, with nice mushroom and yeast aromas and bright, slightly oxidized flavors. This has good length and finesse for a non-vintage wine, with a saline quality I only get in real, good Champagne. What a nice value at just over $30 retail locally.

For just a few bucks more, the NV Grande Reserve Brut is amazing. That saline note from the Tradition is downright chalky here, with deeper mushroom aromas. The flavors are stone fruit and chalk with great finesse, meaning a combination of flavor complexity and intensity with a sense of weightlessness. There's some roundness from oxidation, perhaps from barrel aging in old wood. Overall, this is really good stuff. Highly recommended if you can find it. Vin de Gard brings it into Oregon. Not sure if this producer makes it anywhere else in the US.