One of the great champagnes of the 20th century is 1990 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque. This bottle absolutely blew me away the first time I had it, which was at the private vertical tasting Dom Pérignon held at Crush. Everyone agreed - even among other exceptional bottles, the 1990 Oenothèque had no peers. Though we also had to admit that the 1990 Rosé, served from magnum, was also outstanding - further testimony of the greatness of the 1990 vintage.

Ruinart with Nendo: Form, Function, Elegance
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Kotoli Gift Set
Extremely Limited Edition
Portion of Proceeds Benefits Earthquake/Tsunami Victims in Japan

"There are so many small '!' moments hidden in our everyday..."
- Designer Oki Sato, Nendo

Here's to the small "!" moments - and to the big ones, too.

Back-Vintage, Grower Ambonnay MAGS
1999 Egly-Ouriet Brut Grand Cru Millésime 1.5Ls
The Only Magnums in the Country

"You must first make a good wine before you can make a good Champagne. Making bubbles is a technical process. It's easy. The most difficult thing is to make good wine."
- Francis Egly to Peter Liem

As Liem points out, “For Egly, great wine is made in the vineyards… emphasizing old vine-age, low yields and ripe grapes.”

Here’s the grower’s mindset: one that focuses on the vineyard, one that we respect. One that almost can’t help but point to good wine, and in this case, finally, to good Champagne.

Epic Chardonnay from Pinot's Grand Cru Turf
2002 Gaston Chiquet Blanc de Blanc d'Aÿ MAGS
Terroir Reigns: Richness, Harmony, Detail

"What I'm tasting [in Chiquet's lineup] are wines of pure terroir. They are, in effect, anti-varietal. Even the celebrated Aÿ Chardonnay isn't so much a variant on Chardonnay as it is another dialect of Aÿ." - Terry Theise

Another dialect of Aÿ. Yes, the wines of Gaston Chiquet, above all, speak clearly of where they come from.

When "where you come from" is Aÿ, you don't need to do much more. Aÿ, along with Verzenay, Ambonnay, Cramant and Mesnil, is considered one of the top five Grand Crus of Champagne.

A Special Summer Party Favor
2008 Cedric Bouchard Inflorescence Val Vilaine
Blanc de Noirs
One Last Parcel of the Fantastic 2008
at the Lowest Price in the Nation

Cedric Bouchard's Val Vilaine has to be one of the fastest moving sparklers ever to grace Crush. We first wrote about it two years ago, right after Antonio Galloni wrote: "Readers should do whatever they can to experience these magnificent wines."

If you're reading this email, you followed his instructions. That initial email sold out in less than 24 hours, and our five or so subsequent offers have all followed suit. Each time, we've sought out more, but this is an artisanal production, and you all are a thirsty following. Today's offer goes out only to those of you who have supported our grower Champagne program before.

Classic (Rosé) Champagne
NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé
With Poise and Deliciousness

"Billecart-Salmon's NV Brut rosé is one of the most consistently delicious rosés readers are likely to find."
- Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate

Not only consistently delicious, this is also one of the most widely recognized, well-loved and commonly requested bottles of rosé Champagne.

We've carried small amounts now and again, but it’s usually hard to find it in any meaningful quantity. So here you go: Today, it’s in stock, it’s perfect for summer, and we’ve got a sizable parcel at $69.95 a bottle. If you're a Billecart fan, or a rosé Champagne fan, our advice would be to grab as much as you can while it lasts.

An Introduction
NV Selosse Cuvée Initial
The Most Influential Producer in All of Champagne?

He remains the most original, most game-changing producer in the entire region, with wines that are absolutely individual, always in demand and basically never available in quantity.

Well, except for today.

Only for those of you who have supported our Champagne program, we present a sizable tranche of Selosse Cuvée Initial at among the lowest pricing in the nation: $137.95. This is perhaps one of the best introductions to the Selosse style - it's always one of the best values in his micro-stable of wines.

France's Best, Most Ageworthy Rosé?
2005 Horiot Rosé des Riceys "En Valingrain"
Classy, Sophisticated and Without Artifice

Yes, we're dealing with one of the most obscure corners of the wine world. But beyond the pure "geek" factor, this is honestly a serious wine of noteworthy breeding and sincere winemaking.

As generally obscure as Rosé des Riceys is with the general wine-drinking public, when you actually read up on it, you'll often see it praised as France's best and most ageworthy rosé. Let's repeat that: France's best and most ageworthy rosé.

Summer Champagne Steal
NV Roederer Brut Premier Champagne
BACK UP THE TRUCK for Prestige Bubbles

Roederer Brut Premier is widely acknowledged to be one of the best non-vintage Champagnes in existence - at an incredible value for high-class bubbly from the very same Roederer of Cristal fame.