It’s here! Our Champagne Campaign 2023 bubbly picks
Over the past 6 years, we have been joining a group of friends for a weekend away that we affectionately call Champagne Campaign. It’s filled with beautiful, unrushed conversations, heartfelt connection, copious amounts of laughter, and of course, many (many!) bottles of champagne.
This year we wanted to create a curated selection of bubbly in honor of our upcoming Champagne Campaign book, a modern “how to” guide to help you create and enjoy your own version of our favorite weekend getaways that are a celebration of friendship, food, and, of course, bubbles. It was important to us to pull together a selection that embodies our values, reflecting a strong female presence and diverse leadership. So we enlisted the help of two of our remarkably talented 💫 Bubbly Virtuosos 💫 to curate an exclusive Champagne Campaign selection of effervescent delights for our trip, and to share with YOU.
Jennifer Carruthers owns JC Select Wines, which offers hand-picked wine selections and concierge services for the modern wine enthusiast. Blaine Ashley (affectionately known as ChampagneBlaine) owns New York Champagne Week, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year by inviting champagne enthusiasts to participate in champagne-packed, destination driven festivities.
Interested in ordering any of the bubbly beauties below? Reach out to Jenn at JC Select Wines, and use our promo code THEBUBBLYLIFE to save 10% on your order!
Champagne La Caravelle Cuvée Niña
The name pays homage to legendary NYC French fine dining restaurant La Caravelle, which Rita and André Jammet owned. La Caravelle, hand chosen by Rita and André, reflects the classic roots and contemporary sensibility of the brand.
It's an elegant expression of champagne, just like its Chief Bubbly Officer Rita!
Talk about the perfect summertime pairing. Think warm citrus, white flowers, perfectly buttered brioche and the most refreshing white peach to pair with your next seafood extravaganza, fried chicken, or, on its own, of course. This is the champagne we keep on hand for anytime, any place sipping pleasure.
Charles Heidsieck - NV Champagne Brut Reserve
To this day, Heidsieck is one of the most respected Houses in Champagne and fun fact– it was also the champagne served on the Titanic.
Thanks to 40% of reserve wines, the blend offers a complex, elegant, voluptuous nose with a touch of freshly baked brioche, rich toasted notes and sun-drenched fruits - mango, apricot and mirabelle plum - accented by dried fruits, pistachio and almond. On the palate the texture is reminiscent of a crisp layer of nougatine on a velvety cream pastry, filled with plump red plums and ripe cherries. The selection of reserve wines gives the wine lushness. The finish unveils notes of praline and vanilla. Enjoy with ALL of the caviar!
Champagne Legras & Haas - Brut Rosé
The Legras & Haas family cultivates 35 parcels of vineyards across Chouilly, the most Northern Grand Cru Village in the Cote des Blancs. This gives the family the ability to have incredible diversity and complexity from their vineyards.
With its explosion of red fruits, this rosé champagne is an example of fine craftsmanship and an illustration of the maison’s savoir-faire. It reveals the finesse and elegance of perfectly preserved pinots noirs which form the core of this genuine blend, made exclusively from first press wines. The red Les Riceys wines give overall structure to the wine as the chardonnays from Chouilly and Vitry allow the pinots to take centre stage and impart incomparable freshness.
This wine has energy, grace, and a touch of sass. (Right up our alley!) Pair with cheese and charcuterie. This wine will also pair beautifully with a meatier fish such as salmon or swordfish with roasted vegetables.
Champagne Valentin Leflaive Signature CV|17|50 Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra-Brut “A Great Escape”
Valentin Leflaive is the brainchild of famous Burgundian (Chardonnay!) producer, Olivier Leflaive and named after his son, Valentin.
Made from 40 year old vines, this Blanc de Blancs (pro tip: the ‘s’ at the end is not pronounced) does not disappoint!
A fresh color matches the nose and the palate, and it’s followed by beautifully light and balanced bubbles. Think citrus fruits, such as lemon, with notes of white flowers and a savory finish that screams seafood. You can opt for sushi, sashimi, or Blaine’s favorite Hawai’ian ahi poke with this champagne. Raw oysters on the half-shell are also a dream paired with this delicate bulles champagne.
R. H. Coutier, Brut Tradition Grand Cru Champagne
As the first family to recognize the potential of Chardonnay in Ambonnay, they have some of the oldest vines in the village. It's all Grand Cru Ambonnay fruit and they're practicing organic. Just when you think it already sounds fabulous, wait until you taste it!
This stunning Brut Tradition shows rich, bright and creamy in the glass. It captures all of the natural intensity of Ambonnay and the Pinot Noir adds to both its flavor profile and weight. Dark cherry, plum, cinnamon, cedar and dried flowers are some of the glorious notes that build in time. This is a wine we’d match with duck medallions drizzled with a cherry confit or for more aperitif style bites – foie gras and an array of pâte.
Arlaux Brut Rosé Champagne 1er Cru “Bulles de Tendresse”
Christine Arlaux-Marechal and her brother Philippe, of the 15th generation in the Arlaux family, own and run the vineyard. Given the history, it might come as a surprise that this champagne first launched in the states last year!
Arlaux is located in the heart of Reims in a 12th century estate. Since 1826, Arlaux has produced Premier Cru champagnes exclusively from the 1st pressing (the Tête de Cuvée) that are aged four to ten years before release. Today, the Arlaux vineyard is one of the select few to maintain pre-phylloxera Pinot Meunier wines. For more than 20 years their grapes have been grown without any insecticides, a new approach to the winemaking introduced by Christine Arlaux-Maréchal when she took over the care and production of the grapes from the estate.
Production remains incredibly small and you'll see the name on some of the finest Michelin-starred restaurants around the world. In Paris, Arlaux is reserved exclusively for high end restaurant placements and private ordering via an upscale showroom.
The Arlaux Brut Rosé Champagne 1er Cru “Bulles de Tendresse” is elaborated with the care given to the only best vintages, and unique in the heart of the Champagne terroir. With light notes of crushed raspberries, delicate aromas of white flowers and a tender mouth, it has the nobility of great wines and seduces the most expert noses.
Truly special. Given the small production, we’d recommend you sip this one on its own!
We hope you enjoyed the selection. You can reach out to Jenn at JC Select Wines, and use our promo code THEBUBBLYLIFE to save 10% on your order!
