BUBBLE BISTROT

VISITING LA CLOSERIE A visit to Jérôme Prévost is one of a kind - always an array of bottles with impressive vintage depth, and one of the most beautiful wineries.

PAUL GIRARD-BONNET opens one of his future releases à la volée.

MEET PAUL GIRARD-BONNET A young name in Champagne, but already making serious waves. Considered one of the rising stars of the region, he consistently receives top reviews from those whose opinions truly matter. @paul.girard.bonnet is quickly turning the family estate into a force—now firmly in the top league. Known for producing some of the best Chardonnay in the area, the estate has become a trusted source also for come collaborations with other growers and negociants including La Rogerie & Cose. The fruit speaks for itself—clean, structured, and highly expressive. This is a Chardonnay-driven estate. But there’s one exception: a rare Coteaux Champenois Rouge, made from Pinot Noir grown in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The 150 vines were planted by accident, but the result has turned out to be nothing short of extraordinary—a true unicorn. The labels—when placed side by side in the correct order—form a path, symbolizing the journey across villages. The process is clean and precise. Modern press. Fermentation in oak, stainless steel, and some concrete eggs. The result is control and character—nothing unnecessary, just clarity and balance. The style? Minimal dosage—1 to 2 grams per liter. It’s all about purity and tension, but without being harsh. That precision makes these bottles a go-to for top restaurants across Europe and beyond. Disclaimer Content intended for individuals of legal drinking age. Please enjoy wine and champagne responsibly and in accordance with local laws.

GASPARDS CELLAR Gaspard’s cellar work is unlike that of most Champagne growers. He takes bold risks and isn’t afraid to break with tradition

THE EXPLORER A lot is said about @tom.gauditiabois but the most important thing is that he’s dedicated and consistently crafting amazing champagne over the past few years. He worked with Anselme and Guillaume Selosse, learning essential lessons about champagne. Later, he gained experience in New Zealand before returning to Champagne to create his own. He chose Chézy-sur-Marne, a village an hour’s drive from Reims toward Paris, as his home and where he makes his champagne. Tom produces only a few thousand bottles annually, but his ambitions are growing with plans for a new cellar to produce up to 50,000 bottles a year. While it will take time to reach this goal, it will make his champagne more accessible. For now, his bottles are affordable but disappear quickly from shelves. The Exploration Series reflects his study of terroirs, vineyards, and techniques. Tom avoids drastic changes yearly, focusing instead on tracking adjustments to understand their impact. Over time, recurring elements in his cuvées may result in a base champagne alongside the Exploration range. @tom.gauditiabois #growerchampagne

DOMAINE LÉON (Landreville) The next big name from the village of Landreville (Côte des Bar), Clément Robert’s ambition and winemaking skills are remarkable. What stands out is that he might be the first grower in the area to have a proper tasting room, superb labels, and a spotless, well-organized cellar—quite different from many other growers, who often have unfinished or cluttered spaces. A large part of the credit for this polished presentation goes to his girlfriend, an architect. At Domaine Léon, you’ll also find a unique, extremely old square press, which not only features on the label but serves as the logo and plays a key role in the brand’s story. His champagne style? Crystal clear, with surprising depth and elegance. Fun fact: Clément is passionate about vineyard work and takes great pride in it. Visitors are always shown the vineyards before tasting, no matter the weather. It’s even better when done in one of his Land Rover Defenders—he’s a collector and uses nearly all models daily. What to compare it with? If you still have a bottle of the legendary La Chevetrée from Charles Dufour or something from Champagne Clandestin, they would make a perfect comparison lineup. All three are based in Landreville, just a short drive from one another. If you’ve been waiting for something new and exciting from Champagne—this is the real catch. P.S. Why is it called Domaine Léon when the man in the spotlight is Clément Robert? The domaine’s history dates back to 1920, when Robert Léon began producing and bottling his own champagne. Today, Clément Robert, Léon’s great-grandson, runs the estate, revitalizing it while honoring its long-standing traditions with the utmost respect. No compromises—always Brut Nature. #growerchampagne @domaineleon

BASEMENTS IN CRAMANT BE LIKE Pierre Hugot, the driving force behind Domaine Hélène, is located in the heart of Cramant. The house looks just like an ordinary family home. Just outside, a collection of impressive but empty ‘drunken’ trophies tells you that you’ve arrived. And then there’s the basement—tiny and already too small. Everything, from the laptops to the harvest t-shirts, serves as a reminder of Pierre Hugot’s past and all the places where he has worked. #growerchampagne @domainedhelenechampagne

DOMAINE HÉLÈNE (Cramant) One of the loudest and most discussed names in all of Champagne right now. Pierre Hugot and his Domaine Hélène are making waves, with the first bottles just hitting the market, and he’s already pre-booked for the next couple of years. Who else has had such an incredible debut? The reason behind it? Pierre Hugot is only 26 years old, but his winemaking career reads like a textbook success story. He has worked for top names in Burgundy, always with one goal: to learn from the best and become the best. His résumé includes Domaine Roulot, Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Domaine Chavy-Chouet, and Vaccelli in Corsica. But his dream has always been to return to his home village, Cramant. Back home, his mentor is none other than Aurélien Suenen. His first ‘own’ vintage is 2023. His goals are high, requiring the best barrels, tools, and vineyards—things that demand a lot of cash, often tied up for years. But with a bit of business talent, he found a way to avoid compromising on quality by starting a négociant label before his own official release. Think of it as La Rogerie did with their Heroine range or Emmanuel Brochet with his Selected range. P.S. And why is it called Domaine Hélène if the winemaker’s name is Pierre Hugot? It is a tribute to the strong women in his family, especially his great-grandmother, who maintained the vision for the vineyards and managed to work them through tough times, successfully passing them down to the next generation of daughters. Additionally, Pierre’s mother’s middle name is Hélène. She is, of course, known as the “big boss”. Be among the first to explore his négociant label, available now in sets (only a few left) or single bottles. @domainedhelenechampagne

UNTYPICAL À LA VOLÉE Why? Alexandre is pulling the cork without using the clamps, which is the usual way to do it. It’s rare to see this method, as it’s very difficult. And, as you can imagine, you often end up with champagne in your eyes. We opened La Vigne à Vovonne 2020 #growerchampagne @champagnea.lamblot

NOT JUST ANOTHER MEUNIER GUY - A STAR Yes, this is very true when it comes to Alexandre Lamblot. He has learned from the very best (notably Jérôme Prévost at La Closerie) and is now on his own, absolutely obsessed with environmental friendliness and precision. Located in Janvry, he has about 4 hectares of vineyards inherited from his family, mostly planted with Meunier, but also some Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. At Lamblot, you will not find a single type of anything that is not environmentally friendly—he even closes his cardboard boxes with rivets, using the most up-to-date vineyard techniques, including non-personal caterpillars. The range of Lamblot is so wide that it is easy to lose track. He loves to separate every single plot and every single grape variety, resulting in only one barrel per kind, which is roughly 300 bottles. His so-called entry ranges are Mouvance and Intuition Nature, which, in contrast to all his other cuvées, are blends or even field blends (where different grape varieties are harvested and pressed together). Alexandre has a traditional 2-ton press and loves to operate it very slowly and gently, relying not only on the hectoliters but also on his own taste. He stops the press to taste the juice, splitting the cuvée into A and B, as there are huge differences. There is a lot of extra manual labor involved at every step. If you visit him around harvest time, you will meet winemakers from other regions learning from him. Every single one of them will tell you that they never believed winemaking could get this detailed and precise. Believe it or not, the joke is that when he is macerating overnight, he sets his alarm for every hour and runs into the cellar to taste it, just to check if it’s ready. He is so obsessed with those little details that you can only think—wow! #growerchampagne @champagnea.lamblot

THERE IS NO WAY, YOU HAVE TASTED THEM ALL This is nearly impossible, as the full range of Alexandre Lamblot is so wide and exclusively available only at the three-starred restaurant L’Assiette Champenoise par Arnaud Lallement à Tinqueux and here at Bubble Bistrot for an upcoming tasting event. Here is the full range: LES CÔTES CHÉRIES Meunier, Gueux 500 bottles LES COCHÊNES Pinot Noir, Chenay 380 bottles RÉSERVE PERPÉTUELLE Pinot Noir 330 bottles INTUITION NATURE Pinot Noir, Meunier, Chardonnay 2765 bottles DISSONANCE 70% Meunier, 30% Chardonnay 700 bottles FRÉNÉSIE Meunier, Virgny 985 bottles LA COROCHE Meunier, Janvry 300 bottles LES FOURGONS Meunier, Vrigny 350 bottles LA VIGNE VOVONNE Pinot Noir, Vrigny 300 bottles AMPLITUDE Chardonnay, Vrigny + Janvry 744 bottles MOUVANCE ‘17 Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, Vrigny + Chenay 11686 bottles LA VIGNE Á VOVOVE (coteaux champenois blanc) Pinot noir, Vrigny 102 bottles LES MOINES VATS (coteaux champenois rouge) Pinot Noir, Chenay 500 bottles RATAFIA RATA DU RENÉ Pinot Noir, Vrigny + Chenay 938 bottles And you know what? It’s time to get some of the most hunted, iconic single-vineyard champagne from Lamblot. More in the October newsletter. #growerchampagne @champagnea.lamblot

THE ARTIST AMONG THE ARTISANS Jérôme Lefèvre is more than just a winemaker; he is a true multi-artist. His dedication to art, design, and aesthetics permeates everything he does. In fact, if you follow his work, you’ll find more art than Champagne. Jérôme is the creative force behind several projects, including @maisonjeromelefevre , @champagnedelalot , and @laconspirationspiritueux , a gin and whiskey distillery. Operating from Essômes-sur-Marne, Jérôme’s distance—both geographically and philosophically—from the heart of Champagne lends him an outsider’s perspective. It is perhaps this separation that fuels his rebellious nature, as he continues to defy norms and embrace the joy of doing so. One of his most striking creations is the “Playing with Fire” Rosé Champagne. The packaging is a perfect example of his creative mind at work. While looking at a black foil-wrapped palette, he saw perfection and captured it as a label. If you don’t know the story, you might not see it at first glance. The same goes for his other labels, where skull motifs aren’t modern creations but are taken from art books dating back decades, drawn from artists who have profoundly influenced him. The Champagnes produced by Maison Jérôme Lefèvre are labeled Brut Nature, yet they surprise with a richness and lusciousness that is unexpected. This sweetness arises from residual sugar due to fermentation nuances. The Coteaux Champenois Sans Titre 1, one of the priciest on the market, is aged in small 114-liter rum barrels, imparting a fiery character. The name “Chardonnay on Fire” is more than just a catchy phrase—it perfectly captures the complex nature of this wine. Jérôme Lefèvre is indeed an artist among artisans, crafting not just wines but experiences that challenge the senses. #growerchampagne