Brice

The Brice family comes from a line of vignerons who have been settled in Bouzy since the 17th century. The house's website speaks of a family in Bouzy since 1684. Three generations ago they made only red wine, and turned to champagne only after the Second World War. The present house was founded by Jean-Paul Brice in 1994, specialising in champagne from grand cru sites. Ten years later his sons Jean-René and Rémi took on responsibility at the house, advised by the oenologist and viticulture specialist Christophe Constant.

Vineyards and bought-in fruit

The house farms 12 hectares of vines, 8 of them in the grand cru of Bouzy. They lie on the mid-slopes of the village and are planted mainly with Pinot Noir, with one hectare of Chardonnay. They are spread over just 16 plots, which is a fairly large holding by Champagne standards. In addition there are 1.5 hectares of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in Chigny-lès-Roses and 2.5 hectares of Pinot Noir in Loches-sur-Ource in the Aube.

Brice also works as a négociant. The house buys grapes from around twenty hectares, mainly in Aÿ, Bouzy, Cramant and Verzenay, the four historic grands crus. The labels carry the name of the respective village. In the vineyard the house relies on biodiversity and holds the Haute Valeur Environnementale label (HVE 3).

The wines

The range is now larger and named differently from older descriptions. It includes Brut Héritage and Brut Héritage Rosé, a Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru, a Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru and a vintage grand cru. The Blanc de Noirs is an extra brut made from 100% Pinot Noir, the vintage an extra brut of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. For the 2016 vintage, one merchant cites five years on the lees in 228-litre barrels and a dosage below 4 g/l. The critic Owen Bargreen scored the Blanc de Noirs 93 points and praised its density and finesse.

Visiting in Bouzy

The house welcomes guests in Bouzy for a cellar tour. The oldest cellars are dug into the chalk. Opening times are given as 9 to 12 and 14 to 18, and on Saturdays by appointment only, from 10:30 to 12 and 15 to 17:30. It is advisable to ask in advance in any case. The address: 22 Rue Gambetta, 51150 Bouzy.