Barbichon Prelat

Behind the name Barbichon Prélat stands the EARL Barbichon-Prélat, founded on 1 July 1996. The bottles usually carry the name Champagne Robert Barbichon. The house is based in Gyé-sur-Seine in the Aube département, on the Côte des Bar, the southernmost part of Champagne.

Family and history

After the phylloxera crisis, the Barbichon and Prélat families replanted their vineyards in Gyé-sur-Seine and Celles-sur-Ource. The champagne house grew out of the union of Robert Barbichon and Maryvonne Prélat. Their sons Thomas and Maxime now run the estate as the fourth generation of growers. Both learned viticulture and cellar work from their father. Thomas Barbichon is registered as the managing director.

Sites, grapes and way of working

According to most sources, the brothers farm 17 parcels on 9 hectares. Gault&Millau, however, gives 6 hectares. The vineyards lie mainly in Gyé-sur-Seine and the neighbouring villages of Celles-sur-Ource, Courteron and Neuville-sur-Seine. The soils are clay and limestone, marl with Exogyra oyster fossils. Pinot Noir makes up 75 per cent, with Chardonnay (11), Pinot Meunier (9) and Pinot Blanc (5 per cent) alongside. Pinot Blanc is rare in Champagne.

“Behind the name Barbichon Prélat stands the EARL Barbichon-Prélat, founded on 1 July 1996.

The vines are worked along organic principles. The sources give either 2007 or 2010 as the start of organic certification. In 2012 came the switch to biodynamic farming following Demeter guidelines. In the cellar, the grapes are pressed by parcel or group of parcels, and the juice runs off by gravity. According to Vinifera-Mundi, Thomas Barbichon ages some parcels in oak barrels.

Cuvées and visiting

The range is almost entirely made in a very dry style. It includes a Blanc de Blancs, a Brut Nature, a Réserve 4 Cépages, a Blanc de Noirs and a Rosé de Saignée, mostly as Extra Brut. The Blanc de Blancs is made up of 67 per cent Chardonnay and 33 per cent Pinot Blanc. The Réserve 4 Cépages is the only cuvée made with reserve wine from earlier vintages. It brings together all four grape varieties and is usually shaped by the Pinot Noir. Gault&Millau rated it 92 out of 100 points.

Gault&Millau lists sales direct from the estate and organised visits. Address: 8 rue de la Vereille, 10250 Gyé-sur-Seine. Booking ahead is advisable. The website is champagne-barbichon.fr.