21/08/2025
Most popular champagne this winter!
Gaspard Brochet, a graphic designer-turned-winemaker, produced his 2017–2021 vintages in a garage before establishing his own winery and effectively “restarting” in 2022. Today, he works with three hectares, the vast majority of which are located in Écueil, mostly planted to Pinot Noir on sandy and clay-rich soils along the hillside. He also has holdings in Sacy, where the soils are sandy, and in Villers-aux-Nœuds, where chalk dominates.
The vines, averaging 50 years of age, are farmed according to organic and biodynamic principles (though without certification), with older parcels cultivated while younger plantings see permanent cover crops. Brochet’s cousin takes care of the phytosanitary treatments, and no fertilizers or composts have thus far been employed. The result is ripe, concentrated fruit, often high in acidity, that Brochet vinifies with about one-third of new oak (nowadays mainly sourced from Beaune’s Tonnellerie Trémeaux), aging the wines for 11 months on the lees without topping up, while regularly performing bâtonnage. Despite the cold conditions of his cellar, malolactic fermentation proceeds naturally. He employs no clarifying agents, so much of his remuage is performed by hand. Tirage is under comparatively low pressure, targeting 4.5 bars, which only amplifies the vinous style of these Champagnes. - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
