Originally published on December 7, 2011.
A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: Oh the days when I could buy as much Ledru as I wanted and sell it for $50. I dont’ like to live in the past, but this holiday season had a bit of “glory days” about it. It was so much fun to sell these wines at a price that was wildly affordable for any champagne – especially these. As predicted, the wines blew up, Marie-Noelle retired, and the prices when up – but still not sky-high, not really compared to where they could have gone. One of my favorite memories of this time in the wine world was my Ledru pen. Some tchotchke company had taken the picture below from my web site and put it on a sample pen that they sent me to try to drum up business. It arrived in the mail and I couldn’t stop laughing at the tiny little image of Marie-Noelle Ledru on a cheap ballpoint pen. I wish I still had that pen. I do still have a few bottles of Ledru left. Maybe it’s time to open them.
‘Tis the season to drink Champagne. Is there really any more to say?
(Ok, there is more to say. Like that you shouldn’t wait until the holidays to drink Champagne. You should drink it year round. Whenever you want. And not just for big celebrations. Because champagne is “just” wine with bubbles. And it’s delicious!)
A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: I still post a version of this every year. It’s still true. Most people still reserve Champagne for special occassions, when simply opening a bottle of will make any occassion special.
Now, on to the recommendation.
(photo credit: Bonhomie Wine Imports)
If I could place a bet on which champagne is going to be the hottest thing going in the next couple years, I would bet on the bubbles of Marie Noëlle Ledru.
A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: Yeah well, I sure called that one.
This is Grower Champagne produced in the tiniest of quantities. Ledru owns 6 hectares of vines – small enough as it is, but absolutely tiny when you consider she sells off half of that to bigger houses. She farms without chemicals or pesticides, minimizes sulfur additions, hand-disgorges each bottle, and does the riddling on her own.
Yes, all this attention to detail makes for good copy, but the wines speak for themselves. They’re a marvel of ripe fruit, firm minerality, earthy, salty, biscuity goodness. But what’s most amazing is the pricing. This bottle is $50 on the shelf. Certain perfectly-nice-but-but-definitely-not-hand-tended champagnes are pushing this price point.
But that $50 price tag may not last for long. [A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: hahahahahahahahaha. $50 for Ledru!!! I’m literally (like really, literally, actually, crying] As I mentioned, Ledru is poised on the edge of being the next big (well, not really big) thing. The people who talk about such things are quietly buzzing about these wines. Their charm, their deliciousness, their sheer value. The distributor has already removed any quantity deals…because what’s the point of a quantity deal when there’s not much quantity to sell.
So next year, when every single cool kid is going on about Ledru, you can say you drank it when.
Marie Noelle Ledru Grand Cru Ambonnay Brut NV Price: $49.99
Marie Noelle LeDru Grand Cru Ambonnay Brut NV (Magnum) Price: $99.99
Marie Noelle LeDru Grand Cru Brut 2002 Price: $74.99
Arriving soon: Extra Brut, Extra Brut Magnums, Rose
Yes, I clearly have a thing for these wines.
A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: I should have bought more. Way way way more.