The Incredible Grand Cru Pinot Noir Ringer of the Year: Red Champagne for 1/2 the Price (Under $35)

I've visited Champagne 4 times since Fass Selections has started and the one type of wine I have never been able to get my hand on is Coteaux Champenois Rouge. For those of you who don't know this is the still red/white wine appellation that covers the entire area of Champagne. Not much is made and the reason is why take away potential sales from a world famous product where the name sells itself and divert them to an obscure wine that is much more difficult to sell and is, outside of the Fass Selections parallel universe, usually very expensive ($75+) for the top examples.

The top areas for Coteaux Champenois Rouge follow the typical Grand Cru Villages where Pinot Noir is dominant. So Ay, Ambonnay and Bouzy lead the way. The top vintages also generally follow a pattern that is similar to the top vintages in Champagne. The last great red wine vintage in Champagne happened to coincide with the last great sparking wine vintage in Champagne, which is 2012. As an aside they are very excited in Champagne about 2012, hailing it as the next big thing.

Today I have one of the most interesting and exciting wines I tasted on my trip, the 2012 Brice Grand Cru Bouzy Rouge for $34.99 on a 4-pack.  Bollinger, Lahaye and Egly-Ouriet ($75+) are the standard bearer for this unique and compelling style of wine. I think Brice, who makes 1,000 bottles of this is nipping at their heels. This wine is nothing like Burgundy. Nor German Pinot or domestic Pinot Noir. It is so wildly distinctive and unique, that only if one has tasted a dozen at least to be able to identify what it has. If Enderle and Moll make Spatburgunder that is essentially "Red Riesling," then Brice with this wine is making what can only be "Red Grand Cru Champagne." I know it sounds ridiculous but that is what this wine is like. It has all that minerality you find in many of the Brice wines, but also ravishingly deep and powerful tiny berry concentrated dark fruits. It is an explosion like no other. The fruit soaks your palate but on a bed of gravelly/chalky minerality but so utterly infused with the quality concentrated and dense fruits of 2012. It is a remarkable wine and unlike anything I've ever had before and absolutely delicious. It has serious structure and will age gracefully for 10-15 years. The wine is a steal at this price. Jean-Rene Brice told me that it is currently very hip and many wineries are reviving Coteaux Champenois Rouge and making it. Who knows maybe more red wine from Champagne in the future. One thing I know is red wine this good does not stay at $34.99 a bottle that long.

2012 Brice Coteaux Champenois Grand Cru Bouzy Rouge - $36.99 ($139.96 4-pack) (VERY LIMITED)