OUR STORY
Our winegrowing tradition dates back to 1703, when our ancestors cultivated vines in the neighbouring village of Chamery. A document even suggests much older roots: a vineyard survey dated 1533, drawn up by Pierre Maillart, a sworn surveyor in Chamery, on behalf of the Abbey of Saint-Nicaise.
Today, Nicolas represents the ninth generation at the helm of the estate. After completing his studies in engineering and oenology, he returned to the family domaine in 2003. In doing so, he continues almost 300 years of history while preserving the philosophy of the house: to express the full potential of Champagne’s terroirs through its wines.
Since 2009, we have further strengthened our commitment to protecting the environment by installing 600 m² of photovoltaic panels, generating the equivalent of 100% of our energy consumption. This has significantly reduced our carbon footprint.
OUR VINEYARD
Our vineyards are located exclusively in the Montagne de Reims – in Écueil, Bouzy and Villers-Allerand – across Premier Cru and Grand Cru sites. Having been established in the region for generations, our ancestors carefully preserved and selected some of its finest terroirs.
Our vines are also relatively old and are predominantly planted on mid-slope sites, providing ideal conditions for producing great wines. True to the character of the region, Pinot Noir represents the majority of our plantings (65%), complemented by Chardonnay, Meunier and Petit Meslier.
WINEMAKING
In the winery, we pay particular attention to the very first hours in the life of each wine. Its development is regularly monitored through tasting, allowing us to adapt our approach accordingly.
Depending on the origin of the grapes, vinification and ageing take place either in tanks or in barrels. Some of our reserve wines are also aged in barrels to give them greater complexity. When the time comes to create our blends, we therefore have a remarkably diverse selection of wines at our disposal. This allows us to produce Champagnes of consistent quality while setting aside particularly distinctive and expressive wines. Once bottled, the magic of the bubbles begins and Champagne is born. Yet our work is far from complete. Extended ageing in our cellars allows the wines to express themselves more fully. They are then disgorged and returned to the cellar for several more months before finally receiving their labels and finishing touches.
VINEYARD CULTIVATION
One fundamental principle guides all our decisions in the vineyard: respect for natural balance. Achieving this balance is essential to obtaining grapes of optimum quality.
From pruning to harvest, we carry out as much work as possible by hand, enabling us to adapt our approach to each individual vine. We use only organic fertilisers and cultivate our soils by ploughing, helping to improve the vine’s natural environment and maintain its balance.
These methods also provide the foundations for
sustainable, environmentally responsible viticulture – an approach that has
long been central to our domaine.
Committed to environmental practices for many
years, we are now certified HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) Level 3 and
“Viticulture Durable”. These certifications recognise our environmental and
economic performance and take into account criteria including biodiversity,
plant-protection strategies and water management.
We are therefore among the first Champagne
estates to have obtained this dual certification.
