DOMAINE ROUSSEAUX-BATTEUX 'Les Echaudées' 2022

Les Echaudées breaks away from everything in Adrien's collection. It is his only champagne that is not classified as Grand Cru, and it is the only wine he makes that doesn't come from his home hills. Instead, the grapes come from a tiny 0.49-hectare single parcel located in the remote village of Celles-lès-Condé, nestled in the Surmelin valley, a quiet tributary of the Marne River. The old Pinot Meunier vines were planted by Adrien's father back in the early 1980s. For the 2022 vintage, Adrien harvested this fruit, vinified and aged it entirely in oak barrels to lend a beautifully rounded structure, and finished it as an ultra-crisp Extra Brut with a minuscule 0 to 2 g/L dosage.

Why we love it: This is a highly aromatic and welcoming wine with ripe orchard fruits, red apple and white flowers.

The vibe: It's an unfussy brunch day with toaster waffles with butter and maple syrup and ham and cheese croissants