A passion, a style, a signature…
Our desire is to perpetuate the know-how, pass on our passion while putting our unique signature on our cuvées*.
Respectful of the environment, we all pay attention to the cultivation of the vine and the production of quality Champagne wines.
Our ambition is to make you discover the richness of our terroir**, its typicity and its authenticity.
Each cuvée is unique and symbolizes the individuality of the winemaker!
*Cuvée = specific blend or batch of wine.
**Terroir = complete set of local conditions, including soil type, weather, topography and knowhow.
THE TERROIR
Subject to strict legislation, Champagne can only be produced from 7 grape varieties. However, three dominate the appellation: pinot noir, chardonnay and meunier.
Our vineyard is mainly planted with Chardonnay.
This grape variety is characterised by delicate aromas of white and floral fruits as well as by the freshness and lingering taste in the mouth.
This grape variety, with it’s slow evolution makes it ideal for aging wines.
Only the wines of Champagne produced exclusively from this type of vine can receive the appellation «blanc de blancs».
THE CLIMATE
The Champagne region is situated in an area where the continental and oceanic climates meet.
The influence of the continental climate causes frosts, sometimes damaging in winter, but which are essential to the natural balance of the soil. In summer, the sunshine is conducive to the development of sweet grapes, rich in many aromas.
The oceanic climate brings to the vine regular rainwater with few extremes in temperatures from one season to another.
The level of sunshine, although adequate, remains relatively low thus limiting the growth and development of the vine. These conditions allow a ripening of the grapes conducive to the freshness and finesse sought in the wines of Champagne.
THE GEOGRAPHY
Our terroir is located mainly in the municipalities of Cernay-Lès-Reims and Nogent L’Abbesse. Most of the vines are south/ south-east facing.
In the tertiary era, Cernay-Lès-Reims was by the sea, as evidenced by the presence of fossilised marine organisms. The accumulation of these organisms allowed, once the sea receded, the formation of a deep chalky layer.
Champagne chalk is characterised by a high porosity that facilitates the drainage of the soil. Its ability to retain water provides a natural reserve for vines in periods of drought and prevents the vines from suffering harmful water supply stress. Chardonnays can reach maturity while retaining their acidity, a guarantee of wine freshness and aging ability.
Another part of our vineyard is located on the Aubois area, and more precisely on the hill of Montgueux. This chalky south-east facing slope provides a terroir ideal for Chardonnay.
The soil consists of fragmented limestone rocks dating from the Ice Age, red clay pockets and a lot of flint. The ripening of the grapes is enhanced by their positioning on a south-facing slope. Low sunlight is compensated by the good slope gradient and the reflective power of white soils.
THE PRODUCTION AND LAND MANAGEMENT
One of our main concerns is the respect of the environment in which our grapes flourish :
Our aim was rewarded by winning a certification in HVE (High Value of the Environment) and VDC (Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne). These two awards demonstrate our commitment to reducing the pressure of wine industry constraints on the environment.
Thus, the management of the plots is led by preventive and localised measures.
Tests on the soil indicate, for example, plots which are deficient in nutrients and would benefit from an addition of organic fertilisers. In keeping with our values, soils are fertilised using natural elements (bark, compost, etc.). The pruning wood is no longer burnt but crushed and eventually spead on the ground in order to bring additional organic matter.
In this way, we nourish the land and the entire local ecosystem and the vine in turn feeds on it. Biodiversity is protected by measures to maintain the ditches and hedgerows around our plots. In addition, they are planted wirh grass to limit the use of weed killers and to protect the soil from early erosion
Our vines of Cernay-Lès-Reims and Nogent l’Abbesse are protected from the grape pests by the technique of « sexual confusion ». This biotechnical method of protection allows us to further limit the use of pesticides while reducing our environmental impact.
Manual work in the vineyard is equally important :
Strict pruning and disbudding (removal of excess buds) favour quality over quantity. A careful lifting aerates the grape bunches and limit the diseases.
To avoid damaging the grapes and select the best bunches, our plots are harvested by hand, respecting the traditions of Champagne.
After harvest, our grapes receive special attention :
After pressing , the juices undergo alcoholic and malolactic fermentation at a regulated temperature. For our vintage «Vieilles vignes», oak barrels are used as well as the stainless steel vats, bringing an additional element to the aromatic scale.
Before bottling, the wines are stabilised at cold temperatures and filtered on a «tangential filter». This technique involves running the wine alongside a porous ceramic membrane.
Once the batch is drawn, or in other words the bottling is done, the cuvées rest on slats before their disgorging for a minimum duration of 36 to 48 months for the basic, un-dated batches and five years for vintage cuvées. The constant temperature of 10 to 12°C in the cellar allows for an optimal creation of bubbles and gives the guarantee of obtaining a champagne with fine and durable fizz in the mouth.
Disgorging is an important step in the production of Champagne wine. It consists of eliminating the deposit left in the neck of the bottle by the stirring process.
The dosage , which consists of the addition of a small amount of liquor, is the last touch brought to the wine before the final corking of the bottle. This minimal contribution helps preserve the personality of our wines, while preserving their integrity.
After disgorging, the cuvées rest on average 6 months before labelling and marketing. This period of rest guarantees the homogeneity of our wines.
THE CUVÉES
We set aside some of our wines to guarantee the perpetuity of the style of our cuvées. They are kept in stainless steel vats of large capacity to keep their freshness.
This is how our cuvées are born, imprinted with our soil…
They then improve over time…
Our wines are kept 5 to 8 years in our cellars to bring them to maturity. Regulations allow the sale of Champagne to take place from one and a half years after the bottling. But their rest in the cellar allow them to reveal gradually their complexity, their structure and refines their effervescence.
And when the tasting comes, the nose is expressive.
On the palate, champagnes have a silky texture enhanced by a saline minerality from our chalky soils.
Our exceptional cuvée « VEILLES VIGNES » :
In the spirit of creating a cuvée representative of our signature, we selected parcels of aged vines with low yield . These vines develop with age deep roots, increasing their bonds with the soil that nourishes them. The low yield contributes to the growing of grapes with a concentration of flavours without common measure. The particularly chalky soils give our Champagne wines the sought-after salinity and finesse.
Our cuvée («VIEILLES VIGNES») is vinified in large oak barrels which allow it to preserve its fruity aromas. Then, we patiently let it grow to maturity. The young fresh aromas of flowers will mutate into fragrances of toasted bread.
Our exceptional cuvée combines the richness of the old wines with the tonicity of Chardonnay!
