Aspasie

Champagne Aspasie is based in Brouillet, a village in the Ardre valley west of Reims. The Ariston family carries on a winegrowing tradition documented by a notarial deed dated 13 January 1794. Rémi Ariston took over the estate in 1964. His son Paul-Vincent has run it since 2011, making him the fifth generation. The house works as a récoltant-manipulant, so the wines come from its own grapes.

Aspasie and the old grape varieties

The brand name recalls an ancestor born in 1855. She is also the reason for a particular feature of the vineyard. The house works with four rare varieties that Aspasie herself already grew: Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier come on top of these. Father and son planted the vines after a nurseryman identified them as varieties from the time before the phylloxera crisis.

Sites and working methods

The estate farms 12 hectares. The conversion to organic began in 2019, the first certified harvest was in 2022, and today the entire area is certified. The soils in Brouillet have steeper slopes, less chalk and more fossils than on the Côte des Blancs. The Blanc de Blancs comes from the steep single vineyard Gouttes d'Or in Brouillet. Everything happens on site: fermentation, assemblage and ageing on the lees. The family still keeps the old Morgen press, which around the turn of the century yielded about a hundred barrels of wine.

Cuvées

• Brut Prestige: 50% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier.
• Brut de Fût: The cuvée is vinified only in new oak barrels. It ages for 18 months in barrel.
• Cépages d'Antan: An earlier bottling was made up of 40% Meslier, 40% Arbane and 20% Pinot Blanc.
• Blanc de Blancs, Millésimé, Carte Blanche: Falstaff lists them at 91 to 92 points.

Visiting and tasting

The family welcomes guests in an 18th-century house with a cellar tour and tasting. According to the tourism portal, it is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 12pm and from 2pm to 5pm. An individual tasting starts at 20 euros. Booking in advance is advisable. Telephone: +33 3 26 97 43 46.