Top 10 Grower Champagnes in Hong Kong

Grower Champagnes are commanding a strong following in Hong Kong – here is our round-up of the brands currently claiming wine lovers’ hearts.

Hong Kong is one of the strongest Champagne markets in Asia but currently dominated by the Grand Marques who saw their opportunity to come into the market once the tax on wine was removed in 2008.

However, with natural wine bars and bars serving fine wine by the glass, as well as specialist Champagne and biodynamic wine importers such as Champagne Asia and the Bacchus Club, Grower Champagnes are defiantly commanding a progressively stronger following.

Click through for our round-up of the finest Grower Champagne brands in Hong Kong – and where to find them.

Champagne Agrapart & Fils, Les 7 Crus, NV

Champagne Agrapart was founded in Avize by Arthur Agrapart at the end of the 19th century and was extended by his grandson, Pierre in the 1950s-1960s with Pierre’s sons, Pascal and Fabrice (both staunch biodynamic fanatics) now at the helm.

The estate spreads over 12 hectares in the heart of the Côte des Blancs with its cuvée, Les 7 Crus, hailing from the villages of Avize, Oger, Oiry, Cramant, Avenay Val D’Or, Bergeres Les Vertus and Mardeuil with an average vine age of 40 years.

Les 7 Crus is 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, and made from the 2011 and 2012 harvests, aged in oak and bottled around the time of the full moon in May. Aged on the lees for three years with manual turning, Les 7 Crus is disgorged 60 days before commercial release and has a dosage of 7g.

Available from Champagne Asia.

Champagne AR Lenoble, Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Les Aventures, NV

Sister-and-brother owners Anne and Antoine Malassagne are the great-grandchildren of Armand-Raphaël Graser who founded AR Lenoble in 1920. For nearly a century, AR Lenoble has remained 100% family-owned and 100% independent and owns a total 10 hectares in the grand cru village of Chouilly for Chardonnay, six hectares in the premier cru village of Bisseuil for Pinot Noir and two hectares in the Marne Vallery village of Damery for Pinot Meunier.

Its Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Les Aventures was the very first single-vineyard from the Grand Cru village of Chouilly. The current release is a combination of the 2002 and 2006 vintages with only 2,000 bottles released a year and its name, Les Aventures comes from its small half-hectare parcel where the vines are 36 years old. Dosage is 3g.

Available from Altaya Wines, priced at HK$795 and is also available at Carbone, Casa Fina Seafood & Oyster Bar, Casa Pennington, Post 97 and The Chairman.

Champagne Clos des Goisses, Philipponnat, 1999

The modern era of Champagne Philipponnat began in 1910 when Auguste and Pierre Philipponnat established their Champagne house in its current location of Mareuil sur Aÿ and it was in 1935 that Pierre Philipponnat acquired their crown jewel: the Clos des Goisses vineyard.

It comprises 5.5 hectares of a south-facing, extremely steep slope with an average temperature of 1-2C warmer than Mareuil.

Philipponat’s produces around 17,000 bottles a year of its single vineyard Clos des Goisses cuvée which is usuallly 60-70% Pinot Noir, the rest Chardonnay and spends 8-9 years on the second lees before disgorgement and release.

Available from BBR in-bond.

Champagne Olivier, Cuvee Lyse, NV

Husband and wife duo, Bruno and Christiane Olivier founded Champagne Olivier in 1998 which is located in Trélou-Sur-Marne, and continuing Bruno’s family traditions of winemaking where he masterminds everything from planting the vines, wine making and bottling.

The tiny estate is 3 hectares and produces three cuvées, Olivier NV Brut, Olivier Reserve Brut, and the newest premium release, Cuvée Lyse, named after Christiane’s and Bruno’s daughter.

The Cuvée Lyse is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir with only 1,568 bottles currently on release.

Due to the Olivier’s family ties with Julien Amoris, of the Bacchus Club in Hong Kong, Champagne Olivier’s bottles are only available in Hong Kong outside of Champagne!

The Cuvée Lyse is currently exclusive to the Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s Amber restaurant but available from the Bacchus Club. 

Champagne Franck Pascal Reliance, Brut Nature, NV 

Former industrial machine engineer, Franck Pascal grew up in the Chatillon area of the Vallée de la Marne, where he now runs a fully biodynamic micro-estate of four hectares which spans 20 parcels over five villages. Pascal work principally with Pinot Meunier, which represents over 70% of the production, 20% devoted to Pinot Noir and the rest Chardonnay.

Pascal’s first release was the Reliance Brut Nature in 2002, made up of 75% Pinot Meunier, 13% Pinot Noir and 12% Chardonnay with 0% dosage.

Pascal admitted that originally, he had named his cuvée Reliance because he couldn’t find a name that wasn’t already trademarked by another producer but in a serendipitous moment, has concluded that due to its capacity to link people together, its etymological roots can be found in the French verb, “relier” – “to connect”.

Available from Champagne Asia.

Champagne Henri Giraud, Code Noir, NV

What must be one of the world’s flashiest releases from a Grower Champagne house, La Petite Robe Noire is a joint venture between Champagne Henri Giraud and Didier Ludot, owner of the designer label ‘La Petite Robe Noire’ and a haute couture veteran whose work includes Chanel and Edith Piaf.

Created as a “plea for Champagne to return to excellence when Pinot Noir was more commonly used in the 17^th century,” the 100% Pinot Noir Code Noir comes in a box which opens and reverses as an ice bucket, which also houses two gold and black enamelled Champagne flutes.

The base also fancily doubles up as a hat box with red suede lining.

Only 2,360 sets are available worldwide and is exclusive in Hong Kong with One Red Dot with a retail price of HK$2,398.

 Champagne J.L Vergnon, Grand Cru Expression Extra Brut, 2006

The Vergnon family has nearly two centuries of winemaking experience deep in the heart of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.The oenologist and winemaker, Christophe Constant favours his Chardonnay vines which he cares for in the vineyards of Avize, Oger and, of course, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. His philosophy is to nurture ripe and mature Chardonnay, usually from old vines, to eschew malolactic fermentation.

The 2006 vintage is made from 25% reserve wine in stainless tanks and aged for three years in the cellars.

Available from BBR with a retail price of $480.

Champagne Jacques Selosse Rose, NV

Continuing from his father, Jacques, Anselme Selosse is currently one of the most fascinating and pioneering vignerons at work in Champagne today.

His philosophy is strongly Burgundian in the winery, where all of his 35 Chardonnay plots (in Avize, Cramant, Oger, Le Mesnil, Ay, Mareuil-sur- Ay and Ambonnay) are vinified separately in 20% new barrels that have been brought in from Domaine Leflaive.

Eschewing malolactic fermentation and keeping the dosage low are Anselme’s trademark moves as well as harvesting as late as possible.

The NV Rose is made from 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir.

Available from Champagne Asia.

Champagne De Sousa, Cuvee 3A, NV

Accredited organic since 2010, the De Sousa estate is nestled in Avize and is a family run enterprise with Michelle and Erick De Sousa at the helm, followed closely by their children, Charlotte, Julie and Valentin.

Vineyards are ploughed by horses, the estate has followed biodynamic practices since 1999, and there is even a crystal in the vat room to emanate ‘good vibes’.

The Cuvee 3A is a blend of 50% Chardonnay from Avize, and 50% Pinot Noir from Ay and Ambonnay.

Available from Champagne Asia and also by the glass at the Mandarin Oriental. 

Champagne Vilmart & Cie, Grand Cellier, Premier Cru, NV

Vilmart was created in 1872 by Desire Vilmart in the sleepy Hamlet of Rilly, a town situated in the northern section of Champagne, the Montagne de Reims.

Of all the Champagne areas, the Montagne de Reims has been mainly dominated by the Grand Marques, but Laurent Champs has defiantly continued to cultivate the grand cru and premier cru vineyards to produce highly sought-after wines that spend at least three years on the lees.

The Grand Cellier NV is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir that is sourced primarily from the 2005 vintage and spends 10 months in oak. It’s then aged for 3.5 years on the lees before disgorgement, earning a special place in Champagne lovers’ hearts.

Available from Champagne Asia and by the glass at Seasons by Oliver E.