Hervieux Dumez Champagne Tradition NV SF Chronicle - Past Pick smooth palate that welcomes earlier

smooth palate that welcomes earlier drinking than the grand vin

value-packed southern red with a mineral streak from the schist

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

store it upright

Hervieux Dumez Champagne Tradition NV SF Chronicle - Past Pick smooth palate that welcomes earlierSacy 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,