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Tasting Feature 2006: The Champagne Trail

As promised in my introduction to my main theme for 2006 - the Red Wines of the Loire - I also have a secondary, minor theme to keep me occupied over the coming year, and this is my brief introduction to what will be an irregular series of additions to the site looking at some of the most radiant Récoltant-Manipulant Champagne houses in existence.

For the unaware (and to remind myself) the Champagne producers can be divided into groups according to their modus operandi, and the group to which they belong is clearly indicated on the label by a two-letter code. Just two groups account for the majority of Champagnes lifted from the shelves of retailers, whether they be your knowledgeable and friendly wine merchant, or your local supermarket:

• NM, or négociant-manipulant. Indicates a producer who buys grapes, usually in very large volumes, for the large scale production of Champagne. This group includes the grandes marques with which many drinkers will be familiar; Bollinger, Charles Heidsieck, Perrier Jouët, Pol Roger, Jacquesson, Roederer, Lanson, Taittinger, Bollinger, Gosset, Ruinart, Duval-Leroy, and so on. The presence of so many profiles on this site indicates my familiarity with them, and their importance.
• CM, or co-operative-manipulant. These are group of growers who release the Champagnes they produce under the co-operative's label. They are important for volume and value, and include familiar names such as Jacquart, Henri Blin and Nicolas Feuillate.

There are a number of other possible classifications, of course, but the one that interests most includes the growers; these hardy souls grow their own grapes, but rather than see them absorbed into the production of a large house, with worry-free recompense, they take the more difficult route of vinifying and bottling themselves. These are the RM Champagnes:

• RM, or récoltant-manipulant. Driven by passion for their product, these producers bottle and sell their wines under their own labels. There is a potential for high quality combined with good value, and wines that might reflect the terroir of small plots of land rather than standardised blends. The names are many, but include Pierre Gimonnet, Egly-Ouriet and Larmandier-Bernier.

These RM Champagnes fascinate and excite, but I have limited personal tasting experience of these wines, my notes being dominated by grand marque Champagnes. The Champagne Trail is my effort to change this, by increasing my exposure to the wines through tasting and drinking. This will be a journey of discovery, hopefully meeting some exciting and enthralling wines along the way. It is an open-ended series, a Hansel and Gretel paper-trail along the Récoltant-Manipulant producers of Champagne, which may (or may not) take a year or so to complete. I expect to cover Gimonnet and friends, as mentioned above, as well as the likes of Serge Mathieu, Dumangin and more. I start with Champagne Arlaux, a small outfit run by Christine Marechal. (31/11/05)

• Champagne Producer Profiles
• Wine Guide: Champagne
• My main theme for 2006: The Red Wines of the Loire
• Last year's theme: The Beautiful South