Hervieux Dumez Champagne Tradition NV SF Chronicle - Past Pick This is the reference-point Cote-Rotie

This is the reference-point Cote-Rotie

Unwooded Chardonnay from a farm where the limestone came from termites: millions of years ago their colonies built nests across the Robertson Valley

now in the hands of Marie-Luce Metaireau and her partner

worry about when to drink them

It's crisp and clean

Hervieux Dumez Champagne Tradition NV SF Chronicle - Past Pick This is the reference-point Cote-RotieSacy is not a village that shows up on many Champagne labels. It's a Premier Cru on the western flank of the Montagne de Reims, and four generations of the Hervieux and Dumez families have been quietly making wine there without much fuss. Tradition is their calling card: Pinot Noir leads, with Meunier and Chardonnay filling out the rest, drawn from Premier Cru parcels across Sacy, Chamery, Ecueil and Villedommange. The Meunier gives it a juicy,