Tsarine is a brand of Maison Chanoine, based in Reims. The address is Allée du Vignoble, and the site covers eight hectares. The brand is young, but its background is old. Philippe Baijot founded Tsarine in 1996, after acquiring the Chanoine Frères label in 1991. Chanoine Frères dates back to 1730 and is considered the second-oldest house in Champagne. Since 2023, Baijot's son Enguerrand has run Tsarine. Maison Chanoine belongs to the BCC group, which also includes Boizel and Lanson.
The name recalls Russia, which was the house's most important export market in the 19th century. The curved bottle is striking. In 1996 all champagne bottles looked the same, so for ten years Tsarine had its flacon made by a glassmaker in Venice. The style is shaped by Isabelle Tellier, chef de cave since 2001 and one of the first women in that role in Champagne.
The Cuvée Premium is the entry point. It brings together the three champagne grape varieties in equal parts. The range is divided into the Essentielles and Singulières lines and includes, among others, Extra Brut, Rosé, Premier Cru and Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru. For the 30th anniversary, the Zéro Dosage Rosé Cuvée 30 ans is being released, limited to 1,800 bottles. It is made mostly from Chardonnay and exclusively from premiers and grands crus from six villages on the Montagne de Reims.
