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Best Price and Value Estate Champagne
Sebastien Girost Brut Reserve
May 14, 2023
 
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With the elevated prices for the name brands, we find quality and real value in discovering some from estates newer to this country.
Sebastien Girost comes from several generations of grape growers in the rural village of Congy in the so far obscure Coteaux de Morin midway between Epernay and the chalky Cotes de Sezanne. His friend, cult icon Ulysse Collin is the only other notable producer in the village.
Since 2002, he has estate-bottled some of the wines of his family's small 4 ha holdings.
He harvests by hand from plots averaging between 60- and 70 years. Sebastien is committed to working as naturally as possible in the vineyards –using organic techniques and chemical treatments only when necessary.
In the cellar, Sebastien accords striking attention to the blending process – he separately vinifies each of his 22 different parcels, performing three distinct presses for each, and ages his wines in used 228-liter barrels
Like Collin, Girost makes ripe and richly expressive wines. His standard Brut is very good. It is one of the least expensive and best champagne values we have found in the current market
It is half from the Meunier grape, which helps makes Congy distinctive. Sébastien inhibits malolactic for freshness and leaves the wine on the less for five years of enrichment in bottle. (most champagnes get only two) Its fruit is so fresh that Sebastien needed only a low dosage to round it; it is barely above Extra Brut.
It thrusts out a powerful aroma of lemony apple and pear. That continues in the mouth, offset by a pleasant astringence of Meunier given roundness by Pinot Noir, elegance by chardonnay, and dimension by light earth notes of lees-aging on the finish.
The next best part is the price. Unlike Collin, Girost is just making his mark and, so far, has severely underpriced his wines. It is the best and the only good estate champagne we can offer for $40 a bottle. It is even better at our sale this month, $34 for six bottles or more
Sebastien Girost Brut Reserve Champagne; Aroma: toasty, pretty, fruit, subtle spice, lifted & fruity; Mouth: clean, precise, elegant, light lemony note, Fresh fruity, good drive; Very Good - Excellent $40; Six bottles, $199 (33.16)
Limited quantity at this price, arrives Tuesday
At this price it is well worth getting 12 or more
Order by phone at 617.367.8605, or reserve here: order@federalwine.com
 
Please pass this on to any friends who are wine enthusiasts!
 
- Len Rothenberg
 
These wines (except futures) and any wine in stock assort as follows:
For 12 or more bottles of the same wine, take 15% off.
For 12 or more bottles of various wines, take 10% off.
Wines marked “net” help assemble cases but don’t discount themselves.
 
FREE DELIVERY!
downtown on orders more than $75;
in Greater Boston on orders more than $199