INSIDER'S PICK: NV ALAIN VINCEY CHAMPAGNE SELECTION BRUT $36.99

No better way to send off 2024 than with some great Champagne, especially when you can also call it a great value as well. Words you don't usually get to use together when describing Champagne, so when we get the chance we try to shout it from the highest rooftops. A family run producer based primarily in the village of Champillon just above the city of Epernay, Alain Vincey hooked up with a Virginia based importer to start bringing their wines over, and in the words of the importer "we felt like we had won the lottery". This is a killer price for what we love to call 'Farmer Fizz', as the esteemed Terry Theise called his grower Champagnes. An even blend of Chardonnay/Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier without a lot of time on the lees before disgorgement, this is every reason why you shouldn't bother with the mass market names. Crisp, bright and distinctive white fruits with tell-tale Champagne acidity and nerve underneath, loads of energy on the palate with a dusty baked apple to the palate and a nice lingering richness. This isn't a Champagne that's just trying to cash in on the name, no phoning it in here. Distinctive and individual, and drinking waaaaay over the price point, a wine worthy of any celebration.

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