Grand cru Chardonnay is the most precious and expensive grape in Champagne, and Le Mesnil is the grandest of the grand crus. For my money, the Le Mesnil co-op makes not only the best-value but also the most perfectly representative example of Le Mesnil Champagne.
Salon and Pierre Peters often strike me as too sweet, and Moncuit as too austere. But the Le Mesnil Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs is dead on perfect. That is, it has the richness and amplitude of Le Mesnil at its best, but also the minerality and Corton-Charlemagne backbone which Le Mesnil alone can achieve. In addition, there's a rare profundity, a sense of mature, almost carnal complexity with absolutely no maderization, that makes this truly thrilling.
As much as I love our other Grand Cru grower Champagnes, this one really is in a class of its own. It's also the Champagne English Master of Wine and Champagne writer Tim Atkins chose for his own wedding, which says something.
