FINE + FIZZIN' 🥂

Source note: This post is adapted from Parched's July 2, 2026 newsletter

Hey,

Fionn back on double trouble this week. And what a week it is if you like Champagne that’s both hard to source and iconic. It’s a real privilege to have the below online atm, all I ask is you throw away those flutes because for these, you won’t be needing them.

First up, we welcome back Pinot Meunier perfection from the boss himself. Can only be Prevost. We have the ‘&’ and ‘Beguines’ base ’23 and the GCru ‘22. Everything has been held back since disgorgement, for a year, as per Jérôme’s instruction…

‘&’ is technically négociant, but not really. He and his team work the plots and treat the growers like family. It’s funny when entry level means well north of £100, but we’re in the hands of one of Champagne’s most respected and revered names. We’ve priced this fairly. I won't name and shame, but if you want to pick this up in Mayfair, you'll need to pay an additional Mayfair tax. Over in East London, standard procedures as usual.

Beguines ‘23 is also back. This is THE bottle. From the lesser-known Gueux. Singlehandedly put Meunier on the map when this was first released. It was this that made me fall head over heels for the grape, like so many others. It is given a slightly oxidative kiss on the way through the cellar, as per the house style, and this is all raspy and savoury. If you like umami, you’ll want to take a peek. It doesn’t really get much better.

Well, not at my budget anyway. Thankfully, I’ve got nice people in my life who’ve opened the GC on a few occasions, and those are the few occasions where I wish I was living that city life. Oh well, I’ll take my drips and deals when I can get them. Chardonnay from Le Mesnil GC in the Côte des Blancs and Pinot Noir from Puisieulx GC in the Montagne de Reims, both planted in the sixties. Complexity like nothing else, and again, this is priced extremely kindly compared to the current market. Maybe if I start saving now, this can be my Christmas morning fizz? Do the thing.

Keeping things special and sparkling for todays email. A supplier has kindly given us some Thomas Perseval of Chamery fame. An allocation we have not previously been privy to. Farmer turned elite winemaker is the career trajectory I like. These guys know the land and how to work it, something you can’t teach in a classroom. It also means they never really engaged with the business side of a wine degree, and end up doing crazy stuff that’ll have an accountant’s head spinning. Quality of the wine comes before their quality of life. King. Anyway, this ‘13 spent nearly a decade on lees before disgorgement in 2022… Flex. With four years in the bottle on top of that, it’s in a prime place. Gone all golden and nutty, spiced red fruit and toasty tertiary stuff, but there’s so much freshness it’s all a bit baffling. Head scratchingly good. Seriously, what are you waiting for?

Émilien Feneuil, also takes a fanatical approach to growing. Yields so low I’m sure his neighbours wonder why he bothers. Just taste the wines and you’ll understand. The agroforestry king. Mainly Meslier with some Chardonnay. Another older release from ’18, so any required cellaring has been taken care of. Please behave. We have just a pair left. No brainer.

How can things get any better? Well, I might have saved the best for last. BASTIEN POINTILLART. I’ve never seen these outside of the hottest places in Paris and Reims. Cult + unicorn drinking. Also not young. Stop it. I genuinely don’t think we’ll have the chance to see these again, especially not on the UK market. Both ‘14 and ‘15 too. Both Chardo with at least 7 years on lees. Tiny dosage, but undetectable on the laser-like palate. I thought I was a blanc de noirs guy, but after one of these I’ve had to reconsider.

Factual information on wine you can’t really buy is hard to come by, but I promise these are more than life-changing. I also promise this is probably your only chance to buy them without engaging in something dark and dangerous. Collectors items for good reason.

All that cardboard I have to plough through feels worth it when I get to share such special wines with such special people. You lot.

We also have plenty of more affordable wines, see sub £20 here. Made properly, with love and care, and will taste 10000% better than anything from a supermarket or anything those annoying *wine* Instagram influencers keep recommending. You can't find a better case deal either.

We do the mid-range very well. Allocated & Expensive too. We do timeless classics. We do supernatural. We do everything in between, with fresh wine landing pretty much weekly. We can source anything we don't list, and we can supply weddings and events if needed. Special allocations go out via our mailing list on Fridays. Sign up now if you like Chenin. Special drop tomorrow.

We ship for delivery next day (orders before 1pm, couriers permitting). Saturday deliveries as a standard now too.

We do wine IRL. Dan's offering is as elite as ever, now slinging continental plates next door at Side Piece. Tempo takes Asian flavours to new levels, with a wine list stupidly well priced for a London restaurant in 2026. On Sundays, prices of special one-offs get slashed to essentially retail. Yes. Unheard of.

Basically, we do anything wine-related and, I like to think, we do it well.

Finally, a Major FYI for this Sunday. Dan and Friends, yes, the boss himself, are cooking up a storm at Side Piece. From what I understand, they're working to a brief of Chinese food accompanied by the greatest Rieslings on planet earth. Sounds like a winning combo.

Expect plenty of char siu rolls and a medley of snacks to go alongside. Dan cooked us some char siu at a staff party a while back and I can confirm it was otherworldly. There will, as ever, be a killer rotation of Riesling by the glass and a stupidly good bottle list of one-offs. 2 pm til they sell out. Head over early to avoid disappointment.

Bisou
Fionn
xoxo