Crucifix Père & Fils

In Avenay-Val-d'Or, on the southern edge of the Montagne de Reims, the Crucifix family runs a small estate. The village is classified Premier Cru. The house calls itself Champagne Crucifix Père & Fils and works as a Récoltant-Manipulant: it presses only grapes from its own vines.

Family and history

According to the house, the roots of the business go back to the early 19th century. Their own champagne production began in the 1940s, when André Gabriel and Paule Potier filled their first bottles under the name Gabriel-Potier. In 1960 their daughter and her husband Pierre Crucifix took over the estate and developed a label of their own. In 2005 Sébastien Crucifix, the fifth generation, gave the house its present name. He joined the family business in 2002, after vinifications in Australia and California. Since 2014 his wife Carole, who studied photography, has shaped the house's communication.

Vines and working methods

The estate farms five hectares, mostly in Avenay-Val-d'Or, planted with 60 per cent Pinot Noir and 40 per cent Chardonnay. Other sources give up to six hectares. The soils are clay and chalk. The viticulture is certified HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) and VDC (Viticulture Durable en Champagne). In the cellar, wooden barrels are also used.

“In 1960 their daughter and her husband Pierre Crucifix took over the estate and developed a label of their own.

The range includes Brut Grande Réserve, Brut Rosé, Brut Blanc de Blancs and Brut Prestige. The Cuvée Signature is made of 80 per cent Chardonnay and 20 per cent Pinot Noir, fermented in French oak barrels and aged 84 months on the lees. The Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut Épitre Act is a Pinot Noir from Avenay. For the Act 15, half of the wine was vinified in barriques made from Avenay wood. The bottles are tied by hand with string, a method that was common before the wire cage (muselet).

Schaumwein aus der Champagne, Champagner Servieren

Visit and tasting

The house offers tours of the vineyard, press centre and vinification, as well as a small museum with viticultural equipment and cooper's tools. English and French are spoken. According to the Parc naturel régional de la Montagne de Reims, in 2026 it is open Monday to Saturday from 10 to 12 and from 14 to 17 (10am to noon and 2pm to 5pm), and on Sundays from 10 to 12 (10am to noon). A short booking before your visit is advisable. The address is 3 Allée de la Livre, 51160 Avenay-Val-d'Or.