Champagne
CHAMPAGNE ELISE DECHANNES
The first word which comes to mind when thinking of Elise is "elegance". Much like her, her wines are subtle and refined.
Elise will follow a very different course before going back to her native region. Indeed, after studying business in Reims, she worked in an insurance company, then in banking for years. After the demise of a loving one, she decides to resign and return to her native village of Les Riceys and think of a new future in link with the family estate. She pursued the proper education suitable for her new vocation and in 2008 she assumed the management of the family domaine. It is located in the mythical town of Riceys which is renown for its Champagne and Rosés. One of her first measures was to discontinue the use of chemical pesticides and to reduce the use of chemicals altogether. In 2015 she completed a full conversion…
CHAMPAGNE GAIFFE BRUN
David had a 17-year career as a firefighter in Paris, while living in his native region, Champagne.
When he was not working in Paris, David spent all his time in the vineyards of his father-in-law Gérard Gaiffe. Gérard then cultivates vines backed by the mountain of Reims, in the premier crus of Avenay Val d'Or, in the Marne.
In 2008, the end of his career as a firefighter led him to consider the future, Gérard having taught him everything about the profession of winegrower, from pruning to driving tractors, the handover between the two men became obvious. With his BPREA in his pocket, he took up the torch of operations in 2016.
Gérard has not used chemical weedkillers since 1988 in his vines, so they took advantage of David's arrival to label the estate organically and biodynamically.
Today, David strives to create living wines that respect the environment, this commitment to biodynamics as a work philosophy involves the implementation of methods to care for the soil and the plant, but also as a philosophy of life. through healthy, local and organic consumption.
CHAMPAGNE GUSTAVE GOUSSARD
There have already been some generations of winemakers before the arrival to the field of Didier in 1989. Holder of a diploma oenologist and viticultural techniques, he joins his sister and his brother-in-law by creating the brand Goussard & Dauphin. After the death of his brother-in-law, in 2014 Didier took over the operation alone and that's when the Gustave Goussard brand was born. The vineyard located in Les Riceys is mostly planted with the Pinot Noir grape variety (with a bit of Chardonnay) in order to offer typical wines from the area. For this cherished vines, Didier made the choice to stop all weedkiller in the early 2000’s. Today, most of the cuvées are organically certified and Didier is working now on an ambitious project of rebuilding the estate with agroforestry guideline…
CHAMPAGNE PHILIPPE LANCELOT
Philippe is born in 1980. He was a somm before getting back to school and studying viticulture and oenology. The domaine was created in 1961 by Philippe’s grand-father which was also steward for Champagne Henriot. His parents took over in 1974 and since 2008 Philippe is in charge. Today, the domaine is 4ha, with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Menuier spread out over the villages of Cramant, Bouzy, Choully and Oiry. The viticulture and winemaking are made organically. Philippe obtain the organic certification in 2012, Demeter in 2015, and Biodyvin in 2020.
At the cellar, Philippe's objective is to bring out the "DNA" of each cru and vintage. Today, and since 2015, all the wines have been vinified without SO2 in order to bring more purity and uniqueness in order to assert the personality in their wines.
CHAMPAGNE PASCAL MAZET
Pascal Mazet took over his wife's family estate in 1981. It reintegrates tillage in the vineyards, reduces the use of chemical weedkillers until it completely does without them during the 2000s.He therefore naturally began an organic conversion in 2009 and obtained the label in 2012. Pascal and his wife take a well-deserved retirement upon the arrival of Olivier, who takes over the torch of the farm in 2018.
Olivier's motto : Take wine's substance as it is! His long-term project would be to develop agroforestry starting with 16 ares, the goal ? bring resilience to the vineyards and mitigate climate change.
CHAMPAGNE SOLEMME
Located south of Reims, Olivier works on an area of 6 ha including five different terroirs classified as Champagne 1er Cru.
It was in 1998 that he took over the business belonging to the family of his wife, Catherine, since 1822. If the arrival of this layman in the shop will also mark the advent of new ideas and visions, it will take him 11 years before definitively removing the house from the cooperative cellar. Indeed, concerned about his environmental footprint and eager to produce and offer ever more precise and successful wines, Olivier begins an endless quest by engaging in Organic Farming. Here, from the slopes of the Reims mountain to the Ardre valley, everything is not yet certified organic, because not only does Olivier want to take the time, but for him the organic label must offer more than a logo. if not a more ambitious cultural vision from an ethical point of view.
CHAMPAGNE VAUVERSIN
The Vauversin family has been producing wines in Oger since 1640. Champagne Vauversin it's 100% Chardonnay wine grapes grown on chalky soil and in the cool climate of the OGER village classified Grand Cru. Nowadays, the 4th generation of winemakers is Laurent who handles the domaine.
He was 10 he already knew he'll be winemaker so after a degree in viticulture and oenology, Laurent went to Australia for few harvest before coming back home in 2010. He officially sarted organic conversion in 2011 and got the vines labelled in 2014.
The plots are enhanced with diversified seedlings (cereals,vegetables, flowers ...), more perennial aromatic plantations(lavender, rosemary, sage ...) and various tree species. On the 4.5 hectares of vines, good sense is the direction Laurent's following since he arrived. The apply herbal tea but not at the expense of the soil. Agroforestry is more and more important at the Domaine for the plant resilience and to cool off the atmosphere...
CHAMPAGNE EMILE GRADOS
Soazick and Florent Grados have embraced the profession of winegrower with humility and perseverance, returning to family origins imbued with peasant common sense, love and observation in order to adapt their viticultural practices. Brother and sister, often opposites in character, complement each other harmoniously to the benefit of their Rubélite and Petalite cuvées, well anchored in the Riceys terroir. The family vineyard is made up of 5 hectares, 10% Chardonnay, the rest in Pinot Noir, planted by the grandparents. Their father passed on the estate in turn, a little earlier than expected. Neither Soazick nor Florent were prepared to take over the family business so quickly. It is with a fresh look that they started a different management of the vineyard and 2019 saw the first organic harvest. Also viti-forestry projects; to protect soil and vines. The working method is based on the reflection and integration of sustainable viticulture techniques (tillage and mechanical weeding) with respect for fauna and flora. The goal: to let the terroir express itself through the grapes and therefore through the champagnes.