A few years ago, during a conversation with a fellow wine critic for a major weekly magazine, we discovered with amazement the existence of an extraordinary wine section... in a Leclerc center.
“
I buy all my wines there, by the entire carts.
There are even great vintages from 1945
,” the demanding wine lover told us, not without an ounce of provocation.
“
And I’m far from the only one.
I also meet great wine journalists, restaurateurs and sommeliers there
,” she continued.
That was all it took to pique our curiosity.
To discover
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Thinking that we were dealing with a whim of a former sommelier at a Michelin-starred restaurant converted into a department manager, it was enough to carry out the investigation in the four corners of France to realize that this was by no means an isolated case.
In the city center, in the suburbs and in the most remote areas of France, we have unearthed more than a dozen super and hypermarkets whose addresses are hidden, housing cellars that will make even the most discerning collectors faint: old vintages from Romanée-Conti, Château Lafite-Rothschild, Pierre Overnoy, Jean-François Ganevat, Château Rayas, Grange des Pères, etc., often at unbeatable prices, particularly during wine fairs.
Here are our ten essentials.
1.E. Leclerc de Pierry, in Champagne
In the heart of the Champagne vineyards, in a small village located a stone's throw from Épernay, we find a Leclerc center whose depth of cellar left us speechless. At the helm are no less than four wine merchants, including the jovial Mr. Chéreau, who tries to downplay its merit: “
We belong to a group that firmly believes in a global project around wines, which involves significant resources, and we are lucky to be located on the edge of the Côte des Bar, with a clientele with…
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