Bliard Vincent

Family and origins

The champagne house Vincent Bliard is a récoltant-manipulant in Hautvillers in the Vallée de la Marne, a premier cru village. Three generations of the family are still very much present here: Jean Bliard, now over 90, still tends his Chardonnay vines for his son Vincent and granddaughter Florence. According to one merchant, Florence and her partner Antoine took over the running of the estate in 2018. The ancestors were coopers, which is why ageing in wood is part of the family tradition.

Organic since the 1960s

The family counts among the pioneers of organic viticulture in Champagne. Jean Bliard set the estate's organic thinking in motion in the 1960s. The association of organic champagne growers gives 1970 as the year of certification and of the first certified harvest. All 4 hectares are certified, and annual production is around 12,000 bottles.

The four hectares are spread over sixteen individual parcels, each vinified separately. On the heights of Hautvillers the soil is rather clayey, while the windy plateaus are more chalky. This allows all three varieties to thrive: Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Each site is pressed on its own, fermentation is spontaneous, and the wines are aged for at least ten months in oak on the fine lees.

Cuvées and visiting

The range includes, among others:

• Les Fondamentaux Premier Cru: 40% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 30% Meunier, vinified in foudre and aged for a year in wood.
• Précieuses Convictions: 100% Pinot Meunier.
• Sylve Extra Brut and Sempiternel Premier Cru
• Au Gré des Garennes: a single-parcel cuvée from Hautvillers with no dosage.
• Blanc de Blancs Brut

The estate is at 46 Rue des Buttes. One visitor reports a tour led by the owner herself. If you would like to taste, ask in advance by phone or email. The contact details are on champagne-vincentbliard.fr.