Grower Champagne
Unique Hand grown and made Champagnes
Grower Champagne is one of the most exciting categories in fine wine today. Unlike the large houses that dominate Champagne production, Grower Champagnes (often labelled “RM” for récoltant-manipulant) are crafted by the same families who grow the grapes. These wines are produced in tiny quantities, express a true sense of place, and are increasingly sought after by collectors and sommeliers across Australia.
At Cellared Fine Wine, we source highly limited Grower Champagnes direct from iconic villages such as Ambonnay, Avize, Cramant, and Bouzy. Our portfolio highlights producers who farm sustainably, often organically or biodynamically, to create Champagnes that reflect terroir rather than brand style. For collectors, this is where rarity, authenticity and exceptional value converge.
What Is Grower Champagne?
Grower Champagne refers to sparkling wines made by small family producers who grow their own grapes and craft their wines from estate vineyards. Unlike the famous Grandes Marques (Moët, Veuve Clicquot, etc.), these producers focus on:
Terroir expression: Each vineyard and village shows unique minerality, chalk, and fruit profile.
Sustainability: Many adopt organic or biodynamic viticulture.
Small production: Often just a few thousand bottles per year.
In Australia, demand for Grower Champagne has surged as collectors and wine lovers discover producers such as Agrapart, Egly-Ouriet, Larmandier-Bernier, and Suenen.
Why Choose Grower Champagne?
Authenticity & Terroir – Wines that speak of chalk soils, old vines and precise vineyard sites.
Rarity & Exclusivity – Often only a few dozen bottles make it into Australia.
Value vs Prestige Cuvées – Exceptional quality at pricing that often undercuts the grandes marques.
Collector’s Appeal – Grower Champagnes age gracefully, rewarding those who cellar them.
Handmade Craft – Everything from vineyard work to hand-riddling and even hand disgorgement is often carried out by family members, adding artisanal authenticity to every bottle.
At Cellared, we highlight limited parcels that offer both immediate drinking pleasure and long-term collectability.
Zero Dosage & Brut Nature in Grower Champagne
One of the most exciting trends among Grower Champagnes is the rise of Zero Dosage (also known as Brut Nature) wines. These Champagnes are bottled without any added sugar in the dosage — resulting in wines that are bone-dry, mineral and precise.
Because Grower producers work closely with their own vineyards and harvest fruit at optimal ripeness, they are able to craft balanced, terroir-driven wines without needing added sugar. The result is Champagne that feels electric and saline, with chalky texture and piercing clarity — a style that collectors in Australia increasingly seek out for its purity and food-pairing versatility.
Notable examples include Agrapart “Terroirs”, Egly-Ouriet Brut Nature, and Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru “Millésime” 2015 with just 1g/L dosage, each showing how different villages and soils shape this uncompromising style.
Grower Champagne in Australia
Australia has become one of the most dynamic export markets for Grower Champagne. Collectors seek out limited releases that often sell out upon arrival. With poor FX rates and small allocations, wines like Agrapart’s “Terroirs” or Egly-Ouriet’s “Les Crayères” are often restricted to mailing lists or specialist retailers. Cellared is proud to secure direct allocations of these wines for our clients.
Cellaring Grower Champagne
Grower Champagne is not only a celebratory wine — many of these bottles are built for the cellar. Grand Cru Chardonnay from Avize or old-vine Pinot Noir from Ambonnay can develop over 10–20 years, revealing complexity and richness akin to white Burgundy. We recommend buying in six-packs and opening one every few years to chart their evolution.
The style of these wines, especially the Blanc de Blancs are perfect examples of cellar ready wines both built for the long haul, but can also be popped at any occasion.
FAQs About Grower Champagne
What does “RM” on a Champagne label mean?
It stands for récoltant-manipulant — a grower who produces Champagne from their own grapes.
Is Grower Champagne better than big houses?
Not better, but different: it focuses on terroir and authenticity, while big houses maintain a house style using blended fruit.
Why is Grower Champagne so limited in Australia?
Tiny production volumes, combined with high global demand, mean allocations are small and sell out quickly.
Can Grower Champagne age?
Yes. Top cuvées from producers like Egly-Ouriet, Agrapart, and Pierre Peters age for 10–20 years, developing layers of honey, toast and mineral complexity.
Shop for Grower Champagne wines online
We have everyday grower Champagnes along with unicorn wines that form the centerpiece of a Champagne collection. Looking for something not listed, please get in touch we can source unique and hard to find Champagnes from our global network.
Region: Champagne
Sub Region: Vertus Premier Cru, Côte des Blancs
Varieties: Pinot Noir and co-planted Pinot Gris
Country: France
Vintage: NV — Base 2021
Disgorgement: February 2024
Style: Premier Cru Extra Brut Rosé
Dosage: 2 g/L
The Wine
Larmandier-Bernier’s Rosé de Saignée comes from an exceptional parcel of old Pinot vines in Vertus, where Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris grow together. It is a distinctive expression of a village better known for Chardonnay, preserving a rare part of its vineyard heritage.
The estate has practised biodynamic viticulture since 1999, prioritising healthy soils, mature fruit and natural fermentation. That attention is particularly important for saignée rosé, which demands perfectly ripe grapes.
The carefully sorted, partially destemmed fruit macerates for two to three days before the coloured juice is drawn from the skins. This builds colour, flavour and fine tannic structure directly from the grapes. Indigenous-yeast fermentation, malolactic conversion and maturation on lees develop texture before further bottle ageing. A discreet Extra Brut dosage preserves the wine’s freshness and definition.
Wild strawberry, raspberry and cranberry mingle with rose petal, orange peel, pepper and gentle spice. The palate is vinous and finely textured, carrying expressive Pinot fruit into a chalky, savoury finish. Its depth is balanced by the mineral energy that runs through Larmandier-Bernier’s wines.
Cellared Says
This is the rosé I’d recommend to someone who loves Pinot Noir and wants to explore what grower Champagne can offer. I’m drawn to the combination of red-fruit perfume, savoury detail and the texture that comes from time on skins.
It has enough character to make you slow down and pay attention. For me, this is a bottle worth seeking out—and a convincing reason to give rosé Champagne a more serious place in the cellar. Enjoy now–2034.
Reviews
“Medium-bodied and precise, marked by the vintage’s acidic signature and concluding with a long, perfumed finish…”
94 points — Kristaps Karklins, The Wine Advocate
“It’s a gorgeous, seductive Rosé… Clean mineral accents shape the deceptively understated finish.”
93 points — Antonio Galloni, Vinous
The Wine Advocate review matches the February 2024 disgorgement. The Vinous review covers the same 2021 base, disgorged March 2024.