In the world of organic Champagne, the name Beaufort is royalty. Amaury’s grandfather, Jacques Beaufort, was allergic to synthetic sprays, so he converted his family estate to organic farming in 1971—decades before it was cool. Amaury grew up in the vines, learning that great wine is made in the vineyard, not the lab.

In 2018, Amaury struck out on his own, establishing his own cellar in the Aube (the southern region of Champagne closer to Chablis). He naturally applied the family’s farming philosophy but refined it.

Today’s wine is 100% Pinot Noir from the village of Polisy. Amaury vinifies it like fine Burgundy—in large wooden foudres and old barrels. He adds no sulfur and no dosage: that’s what makes this zero zero. If you are expecting something wild, prepare to be surprised by how classic this tastes. It is broad, vinous, and powerful. You get the deep, red-fruited richness of the Pinot Noir (wild cherry, currant) backed by a savory, salty structure that comes from the Kimmeridgian limestone soils. It is a wine of "controlled oxidation"—meaning it has seen air in the barrel, which gives it a nutty, complex depth, but it remains incredibly fresh and upright.

This is a wine for the dinner table. Give it some air (but not so much that you’ll lose the bubbles!), use a large white wine glass, and serve it not too cold. Champagne like this can go with a great variety of foods, but if we have to pick a couple we’ll go with roasted pork loin or a mushroom galette.

While Amaury Beaufort was born into natural wine, Fabian Daviaux had to stage a coup to get there.

Chavost is a cooperative in the village of Chavot-Courcourt, just south of Epernay. For decades, it was a standard operation: farmers brought in conventional grapes, and the co-op made standard, safe wine.

Then, in 2019, young Fabian took over. He convinced a group of the growers to set aside 5 hectares of organic land and let him try something radical: a line of wines with zero added sulfur. This is unheard of for a co-op, which usually prizes consistency above all else.

While Beaufort uses oak barrels to build texture, Chavost is all about stainless steel. Fabian wants to capture the pure, unadulterated fruit of the grape. This "Blanc d'Assemblage" is a blend of Chardonnay (about 50%) and Pinot Meunier (about 50%). Because it is made without sulfur but in a hyper-clean, temperature-controlled environment, the fruit is explosive. It bursts with green apple, fresh pear, and a distinct chalky minerality. It is "juicy" and "alive" in a way that standard Champagne never is. It is not funky; it is high-definition.

This is your "apéro" bottle. It is zippy, salty, and energetic. It cuts right through the richness of fried foods—try it with tempura, frites, or a soft, triple-cream cheese like Brillat-Savarin. Or just drink it on its own while the Beaufort is getting some air.