A chance encounter with a mesmerizing Blanc de Blancs at a restaurant after the Salon des Vins de Loire led to a protracted but ultimately successful courtship of one of the more quietly remarkable estates in our portfolio. The Forest and Marié families have farmed no fewer than 86 parcels across four communes, three of which are Premier Crus, with oldest vines approaching a century. They produce authentic, forceful Champagnes that exemplify all we have come to love about the récoltants. Forest-Marié has developed a following in France, earned top ratings in the Guide Hachette, and proven serious enough that Bollinger and Ayala buy roughly half their production. What comes to us usually sees four to five years on lees, well beyond what most houses bother with. Thierry and Gracianne now share the reins with daughter Marthe, while son Louis has crossed from family member to distinct producer, making his own label and cuvées within the same walls; the sibling dynamic is one to watch for years to come.