Alexandre Filaine, 'Cuvée Spéciale' Brut (Base 2020)

Fabrice Gass launched Alexandre Filaine as a side project while he was the winemaker at Bollinger. Filaine is now his full-time gig, but production remains small - like one hectare yielding a few thousand bottles in total, small. This is Champagne at its most boutique. Fabrice uses a single traditional-press and barrels that are 100 years old. He farms organically and riddles and disgorges every bottle himself. The resulting wines are powerful and textured, with sky-high acidity keeping the wines bright.