All grand cru- and Verzenay no less- at this price? Don't wait on this one! The wines of Verzenay are some of my very favorite in all of Champagne, and Patrick Arnould of Champagne Michel Arnould makes some of the very best. This wine has the magical hazelnut quality that many (including myself!) often miss for wood treatment in blind tastings. Because this Grand Cru village faces north the wines are always electric and vibrant, even with high percentages of Pinot in the blend. Stunning wine and an unbelievable value!

Michel Arnould's champagnes are so good that I always end up buying a magnum of them. Especially the Observation Brut and the Genese Brut Rose. The represent such tremendous value with the quite stellar quality inside the bottle. Though a majority Pinot Noir, the Observation still retains the clean acidity of a softer Blanc de Blanc while still giving you the richness of the Pinot Noir. Then, there is that awesome hazelnut flavor that comes via the soils of Verzenay. Golden apples, baking spices, roasted hazelnuts, hints of citrus, a creamy bead and fine acidity. What more can you really ask of this champagne? Nothing!

Well, gosh darnit that rascal Gary Westby has done it again and basically put his hand in my pocket to take my money. He's got such a deep and impressive bench when it comes to these direct import Champagnes. He was also totally right, I thought this was barrel fermented at first, but it's not according to his notes. There's this richness and depth that is really impressive and alluring, pretty and super fresh fruit up front with this slightly nutty finish rounded out with this incredibly impressive acid, but an overall softer edge than I was expecting at first. The toast and development already here makes me feel like I need to lay a few of these down to let them really develop and harmonize for a few years because if it's this good already, it's going to be to die for with just a little age. It's got an approachability and comes across as a bit of a crowd pleaser, with just a touch of an edge to it. Fantastic. This is the kind of Champagne you get a case or two of and lay it down, drinking one every time you just can't bear to wait a second longer.