Review: Canard Duchene P181 Organic Extra Brut NV

Canard-Duchéne is a champagne house from Ludes, Champagne. Founded in 1868 by Victor Canard and Leonie Duchéne, the house and vineyard sits within the Montagne du Reims National Park. The founders originally ran the house as a family oriented business with limited official supply engagements and modest profits. This worked very well for the house just …

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Review: Lanson Extra Age Brut Rosé

Champagne Lanson is the ninth largest house in Champagne, and certainly one of the richest in terms of history. Founded in 1760 by Francois Delamotte, the house became “Lanson” after the appointment of close family friend Jean-Baptiste Lanson to the helm of the company in the early 1800’s. Second-generation owner Nicolas-Louis Delamotte, who was a …

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Review: Castelnau Reserve Brut NV

Champagne Castelnau Brut Reserve is a cooperative made champagne whose "house" is based in Reims, Champagne. It is a brand under Castelnau Wine Agencies umbrella, a London, UK based worldwide wine distribution group. Despite being part of a large international entity, the wine in question is produced in Champagne within the rules of the appellation …

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Champagne Tours: Ruinart

The third tour on my recent trip to Champagne was with LVMH's Ruinart; another esteemed house based in Reims. The oldest champagne house (others produced still wines first) was founded in 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart, after his uncle Dom Thierry Ruinart convinced the family that the bubbly wine was the future. Ruinart was also a pioneer …

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Champagne Tours: Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin

My second tour on my recent trip to Champagne was with LVMH's Veuve Clicquot; a world famous house in Reims. Founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot, the house's proud widow ("Veuve" in french) that it is synonymous for is actually his daughter in law; Barbe-Nicole. She inherited the business on the untimely death of her …

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