NV Paul Louis Martin Champagne Grand Cru Bouzy 750 ml

The Grand Cru Grower Champagne to Stock Up On

When a $50 Grand Cru Champagne is $40 per bottle, it is best to snatch it up, especially when it’s produced in the dreamy village of Bouzy — widely considered among the best terroir for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. From the heart of Montagne de Reims, this Grand Cru Champagne presents beautiful tiny beading, with terrific aromas of brioche and dried apricots, explosive on the palate, with a terrific creamy mousse, fresh, pithy grapefruit, orchard and stone-fruit flavors. Wine Enthusiast gushed that this is a “great food-friendly Champagne," which means you’ll need at least two bottles per night — one for sipping while preparing a meal, and the next to carry you through dinner.

We won’t judge if you need a third bottle to accompany dessert. For this Grand Cru beauty, grapes plucked off south-facing hillside vineyards, are rooted in a chalky, mineral-rich soil, which imparts citrus-driven, nutty spice and minerality to their Champagnes.

The venerable Paul Louis Martin Champagne House was founded in 1864. Louis Martin was a beloved Bouzy local who initially sold fruit to a local cooperative. But in 1929, Louis produced and self-distributed their first family Champagne with his son Paul. Today, Paul's daughter, Francine, and her son, Vincent, continue the long-held family reputation for producing elegant, Grand Cru, grower-producer Champagne.