10 best grower champagnes for fizz with personality  

A dazzling array of flavours can be found in this traditionally made champagne. Rich, creamy and complex, with fig, mint and honey notes vying for attention it’s quite an unusual find, yet it’s this full on intensity that makes it so exciting. A real treat of an aperitif, it would also be excellent with creamy seafood pasta.

Considered to be one of the best independent champagne producers in the region, champagne Collard-Picard has a rather lovely story. Initially two separate houses, they came together when Olivier Collard and Caroline Picard married. The result was a harmonious blend of Caroline’s grand cru chardonnay with Olivier’s pinot noir and meunier.

A blend of seven vintages, the current release has had 15 months in oak with a further three months aging, so you can expect notes of toasted brioche, baked apples and a honeyed finish. An excellent example of a grower champagne, representing good value.

Having worked for Perrier Jouet and Mumm (where, like many of the big houses, grapes are bought from many places), Fabien Gay felt disheartened by this lack of traceability. Arteis & Co was his way of righting that wrong. Stylistically, this is Krug, at less than half the price. Sounds interesting?

That’s because it is! With nine years on lees (in which time those delicious brioche notes develop), you can expect a big, robust champagne with masses of complexity. So much so, you could even serve in a wine glass to pick out the layered notes of plum and cherries, fully appreciating the long juicy finish in the process.

Dating back three generations, today Thierry Forget is responsible for the family vineyards, some of which can be found as close as his back garden. A staunch advocate for sustainable agriculture, the house produces just 95,000 bottles of champagne a year, with only 5 per cent of these exported – so you’ll be very lucky indeed to get your hands on a bottle.

However it’s worth seeking out if you like your champagne toasty – well balanced with jammy red fruit notes and a fresh, lively acidity, this is an extremely easy drinker.

A 50/50 blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, this elegant fizz has been aged for five years with only a low dosage (sugar) added. Although initially only created for friends and family, it’s now sold internationally, however the house felt it important to stick to their small-scale ethos, leaving plenty of room for innovation.

As such grapes are still selected by hand and minimal sulphites are added. Wonderfully aromatic, expect baked apples, honey and almonds on the nose, moving to pear and brioche on the palate. With fine, persistent bubbles, this would wake an excellent aperitif or try serving with charcuterie.

Predominately made from pinot noir grapes, with just a touch of chardonnay, this is a powerful champagne which can stand up to rich dishes. Full bodied with almonds on the nose, it has been aged for up to 30 months before releasing. Despite being a non-vintage, the complexity found here certainly gives more expensive brand names a run for their money.

This is a blanc de blanc style Champagne, which means it has been made with 100 per cent chardonnay grapes (in this case exclusively from the Grand Cru villages). However it’s created using the solera system found in sherry production, whereby older reserve wines are blended together, adding complexity to this sharp edged, mineral heavy wine. Should you have the patience, this is a champagne which will only become more full-flavoured with age, developing more pronounced brioche notes.

Brocard Pierre is part of the revolution taking place in Champagne, where the balance of power is shifting away from the huge producers back to small growers, focusing on terroir. Only around 2 per cent of Champagne-producing vines are farmed organically but young winemaker Thibaud Brocard is in charge of one such estate.

This is hand-harvested, pinot noir-led champagne made with as little intervention as possible. Expect a fresh lemony acidity, with white peach, green apple and creamy texture thanks to the portion of reserve wine added.

Made from the estate’s oldest chardonnay grapevines, témoignage (meaning testament in English), was so called for the quality of 2009’s harvest. Beautifully balanced, there’s plenty going on here, from the earthy nuttiness, to the warming baked apples but we were particularly enamoured by the cherry pastry notes which led to a slightly saline finish. This savoury element, coupled with fine, persistent bubbles makes this a particularly food friendly wine.

Another white champagne made using red grapes, the family behind the Faubert house have been making wines since 1670. Well-rounded with the rich red fruit coming through, this blanc de noir style is crisp and fresh with balanced acidity. Exceptionally well-priced, this stylish little number is well worth adding to your basket.