The cellar
Our wines are crafted on our historical property in Bouzy. Matured in barrels for ten months on fine lees, followed by three to ten years ageing in a chalk cellar 16 meters below ground, the wines acquire structure, elegance and refinement. The primary aromas fade and the terroir comes to the forefront. Minerality comes from a finely-tuned balance of clay and chalk, low yields and optimal ripeness. By carefully balancing these three elements, we are able to grow intensely expressive grapes with both salinity and minerality.
The Ageing Process: Birth of a Fine Wine
The wine is aged in barrels on fine lees. Alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeast is followed by malolactic fermentation. Sulphur is used sparingly and is the only additive used during vinification. Our wines are blended in June and bottled in July. A long ageing process ensures that the wine is clarified naturally avoiding the need for filtration or fining.
Bubbles Form, Terroir Appears
The formation of bubbles is the final step in the wine’s journey to become champagne. Effervescence is akin to a promise, bringing out the best of every great terroir, sublimating the wine, both protecting and releasing it when opened.
This process requires three to ten years of ageing in chalk cellars. The birth of truly fine wines takes time.
Our ancestors' mark
The wines age for three to ten years deep in the chalk cellars under the timeless gaze of a white dove carved in 1893. The sculptor’s hand was delicate and precise, as are the Paillard champagnes. Retracing the footsteps of our ancestors we bear witness to their pride and tenacity in the making of fine champagne wines.
