Drink of the Week: Champagne Jeeper Blanc de Blancs

There are all sorts of high-minded reasons to love Champagne. Maybe you’re deeply invested in terroir expression or 16th-century European trade economies. But there’s also the simple truth that Champagne is generally a lot of fun. Pop a bottle of bubbles and watch the vibe change. Suddenly, it’s a party, and everyone wants to raise a glass. At least, that’s how it felt when I tasted Champagne Jeeper’s Blanc de Blancs on a recent Monday evening.

My partner and I had just completed our respective workdays, an out-of-town friend was staying chez nous for the night, and everyone was ready to blow off steam. “Why not open a bottle of bubbles?” I thought, cognizant of the fact that no one has ever once asked me for financial advice. And so, the three of us shared an excellent wine on an average afternoon. Almost immediately, our low-key hang felt festive. We toasted to old friends, to the start of summer, and even to the tacos we planned to have for dinner.

The wine enhanced our impromptu celebration. Blanc de Blancs, a style of Champagne made exclusively with Chardonnay grapes, tends to walk the line between crisp and creamy. Champagne Jeeper’s iteration is complex but approachable, with the warm roundness of buttered brioche plus lots of tart citrus and minerally notes to keep things zippy. It’s food-friendly, too. I would happily drink Champagne Jeeper’s Blanc de Blancs alongside everything from the tortilla chips we snacked on that night before dinner, to oysters on the half shell, to late-night fried chicken, to the elegant fruit desserts that Tony Parker, the six-time NBA All-Star and an investor in Champagne Jeeper, once told me is his preferred Blanc de Blancs pairing. (You can read more of my conversation with Parker in the July/August 2024 issue of Imbibe.)

Menu and occasion aside, opening a bottle of fine wine on an ordinary afternoon is an indulgence, of course, but it’s also the sort of investment in joy that pays dividends. Champagne might not be part of my daily life, but that doesn’t mean that every day isn’t worthy of Champagne. mrdwine.com, $80.60