Auge Père & Fils

Augé Père & Fils is a family estate in Coulommes-la-Montagne, close to Reims, in the Montagne de Reims winegrowing area. The house is at 6 Rue de Clairizet. The estate farms 8.5 hectares, and its appellation is given as Premier Cru.

History and family

Since 1919, one generation after another has made champagne wines here. Marcel Augé released the first champagne under the family's own name. The website gives 1945 for this, while the house's own chronicle says 1947. In 1947, 1,500 bottles went on sale. When the Coulommes-la-Montagne cooperative was founded in 1960, Marcel brought in a first hectare of vines. His son Jean-Paul delivered the entire harvest to the cooperative at the end of the 1970s and was its cellar master for about thirty years. Today Damien Augé runs the estate, supported by his father Jean-Paul. Danielle looks after bottle sales, which run at 40,000 to 50,000 bottles a year.

Vines and way of working

Pinot Meunier is the main grape variety. It covers 88 per cent of the vineyard area, with 11 per cent Chardonnay and 1 per cent Pinot Noir. The soils are clay and limestone. Older sources speak of around 80 per cent Meunier. About 30 per cent of the vines are between 15 and 30 years old, and the rest are older than 30. Some parcels are more than 50 years old and usually supply the Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. A trade article describes the estate as "raisonné", meaning crop protection is considered and kept to a minimum. I could not find any proof of organic certification.

The cuvées

The range is broad: Brut traditionnel, Demi-sec, Grande Réserve and Rosé. In addition there are two single-variety wines: a Blanc de Blancs from 100 per cent Chardonnay and a Blanc de Noirs from old Pinot Meunier vines, which is also made without dosage as a Brut Nature. The Blanc de Blancs won gold at the Concours Féminalise in 2019. There is also a vintage champagne with more than ten years of ageing and the cuvée "Mémoire de Vignerons", which is vinified in oak barrels.

Visit and tasting

The house invites you to taste all its cuvées. It is best to arrange a time by phone on +33 3 26 49 22 16. The champagnes are also available from partners in Reims, Gueux, Sacy and Hautvillers.