Couche

Vincent Couche runs his estate in Buxeuil, in the Aube département, right in the middle of the Côte des Bar. He has been based there since 1996. It was his mother who passed on both the passion and the craft. Alongside champagne, he also makes wines in Burgundy, in Chablis and in Molesme.

Two terroirs, two grape varieties

Older texts give 13 hectares. At present, however, the estate farms more: in Buxeuil there are 12 hectares, mainly Pinot Noir, and in Montgueux a 3-hectare plot of Chardonnay. In Buxeuil the vines grow on Kimmeridgian soils of clay and limestone or clay and marl.

The Chardonnay plot in Montgueux faces due south, on Cretaceous chalk, with only 40 centimetres of soil over the chalk. It delivers the freshness and tension that the richness of the Pinot Noir from Buxeuil complements. The Cuvée Chloé brings together exactly these two sides, as an Extra Brut made without added sulphur.

Biodynamics and cellar

The conversion began early. In 2008 the estate entered certification, and the first certified organic harvest was in 2011. The whole area is certified and recognised by Demeter. In the cellar, that means wild yeasts, no chaptalisation, no fining, no enzymes and natural malolactic fermentation. The grapes are picked by hand.

The styles lean towards the pure, with cuvées dosed very little or not at all. Among the best-known wines are:

• ADN Montgueux and ADN Buxeuil: aged for three years in barrel without sulphur, unfiltered, no dosage
• Chardonnay de Montgueux: Brut nature, partly aged in wood
• Sensation: half Chardonnay, half Pinot Noir, from Buxeuil and Montgueux
• Rosé Désir and Élégance: both Extra Brut

You will find the estate at 29 Grande Rue in Buxeuil. If you would like to visit, it is best to ask in advance via the website or by phone on +33 3 25 38 53 96.