Disgorged April, 2008; a blend of roughly 50% chardonnay, 40% pinot noir and 10% pinot meunier) Yellow-gold. Intensely floral bouquet displays yellow rose, magnolia, orange and poached pear. Broad and fleshy, with deep orchard and pit fruit flavors buffered by gentle acidity. Finishes on a smoky note, with good persistence. 89 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, November 2008.

This is a striking set of wines from Alexandre Chartogne, a young grower inspired by Anselme Selosse. Chartogne has begun converting his vineyards to biodynamic farming and is giving his wines less malolactic fermentation than in the past, which may explain, at least in part, why these wines seem more mineral-driven and less overt than in the past. Whatever the reason(s), the wines are simply beautiful and are all highly recommended. Antonio Galloni, Rober Parker's Wine Advocate.

RM or récoltant-manipulant. Driven by passion for their product, these producers bottle and sell their wines under their own labels. There is a potential for high quality combined with good value, and wines that might reflect the terroir of small plots of land rather than standardised blends. R stands for Récoltant ( the literal translation is ‘Harvester’) M stands for Manipulant ( literally ‘Handler’) These “grower” champagnes account for just under 3 percent of the total market.