Chalmet

Champagne Chalmet Fils is a family-run estate in Unchair, in the Marne département. The family has farmed it for four generations. The village lies about an hour and a half from Paris and 25 minutes from Reims. Legally, the estate trades as SCEAV Chalmet Bloquet. The website names Anne-Laure Chalmet as the contact.

Vines and way of working

According to Wikichampagne, the estate farms about 3.5 hectares, spread over plots between the Vesle and the Ardre on the edge of the Montagne de Reims. The three classic Champagne grape varieties are grown: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The estate is regarded as environmentally conscious in its farming and is certified Viticulture Durable en Champagne. In the cellar the house relies on wood: the chai is described as a place of fermentation in oak barrels or clay vessels.

The cuvées

The website speaks of seven cuvées, ranging from the typically Champenois to one of the most unusual in the region. The range includes Brut, Réserve, Rosé, Grande Réserve, Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs. According to the estate, the Brut Réserve is made of 50 per cent Pinot Noir and 50 per cent Chardonnay. The Blanc de Blancs is a vintage champagne made from 100 per cent Chardonnay.

• Idylle par Chalmet, Blanc de Noirs 2017: Ageing in oak and acacia barrels is meant to give it character and roundness.
• Harmonie: An Extra Brut from the vintages of the last three harvests. It brings together Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier with the almost forgotten varieties Petit Meslier and Arbane. It is aged in a Roman amphora made of Tuscan earth.

Visit and tasting

Chalmet offers a wine-tourism tour: tastings, vineyards, press house and cellar. Tastings take place in the estate's own reception room. The estate asks visitors to announce themselves beforehand, ideally by phone. Opening hours differ depending on the source, so the call (+33 3 26 48 20 35) is worth making twice over.