Belin

Essômes-sur-Marne lies about 2 km from Château-Thierry, in the western part of the Vallée de la Marne in the Aisne département. It is here, in the hamlet of Aulnois, that Olivier Belin works. He is the fifth generation of growers on this eight-hectare estate.

Family and independence

According to the grower's website, the roots of the estate go back to 1957, when Henri Planson gave up farming to devote himself entirely to winegrowing. In 1970 the estate grew with the arrival of Jeanine, Planson's daughter, and her husband Gérard Belin. Olivier Belin, an oenologist by training, took over the family estate in 1997 and left the Covama cooperative in doing so. Since then he has made his champagnes himself. The estate is certified as an Exploitation de haute valeur environnementale (HVE).

Vines and working methods

The vineyards lie on the sunny slopes of Essômes-sur-Marne and Aulnois. All three champagne grape varieties are grown: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Meunier is what particularly defines the house. The geology of the 17 plots has been mapped: clays, tufa, sands and loams. Each plot is vinified separately, in small temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and in barrels. Influenced by Burgundian thinking, Belin has worked plot by plot from the very beginning.

Cuvées

• Bel Instant: 100% Meunier from three plots and two pickings, Extra Brut, no malolactic fermentation.
• La Vie en Blanc: a blanc de blancs from 100% Chardonnay, Brut Nature, from the plots «Le Chemin vert» and «Les Faupriers».
• Rose des Fables: 60% Pinot Meunier and 40% Chardonnay.
• Clair Obscur: a cuvée of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

In 2020 a trio of Brut Nature cuvées joined the range. They come from three plots on the same slope (bottom, middle, top) and are 100% Meunier. The range also includes Belle de Saignée, Lune de Miel, a vintage Extra Brut and a ratafia champenois.

Visits and tastings

The estate welcomes visitors all year round by appointment. To get there by car, take the A4 to the Château-Thierry exit, then follow the signs towards Essômes-sur-Marne. The telephone number is +33 6 07 13 11 42.