Champagne without the crowds, smaller growers to visit?

Everyone does the grande marque houses in Reims and Épernay. I want the opposite: the grower-producers (RM on the label), the tiny cellars where the family pours.

Did a trip through the Côte des Bar last year and it was a revelation, half the price, twice the conversation. Looking to go back and go deeper.

Who are the growers worth building a day around, and which villages should I base in? Anyone done the Côte des Blancs on bikes?