2014 Andre Beaufort, Champagne, Ambonnay Grand Cru, Millesime Brut

Long before "natural wine" was a buzzword, André Beaufort was charting his own path in Champagne. Since the early 1970s, the estate has treated their vines in Ambonnay Grand Cru not with chemicals, but with essential oils and homeopathy.

This meticulous stewardship shines in the 2014 Millésime. The vintage was saved by a beautiful, dry September, allowing the grapes on these south-facing chalk slopes to reach perfect maturity. Fermented on native yeasts and aged extensively on the lees, this is a wine of "structural integrity." It offers the best of both worlds: the richness and vinous power typical of Ambonnay, cut by the vibrant, electric acidity of the 2014 vintage.