Daniel Collin

Champagne Daniel Collin is a family estate in Baye, a village in the south-west of the Marne département. Baye lies between the Côte des Blancs and the Sézannais. Three kilometres from the estate are the Marais de Saint-Gond, where a battle was fought in 1914.

Three generations, one name

In 1959 Daniel Collin acquired his first parcels. He was 30 at the time and had grown up working the land. Alongside his work in the vineyard he took oenology courses. His wife Bernadette and their three children helped out among the vines. In 1983 his son Hervé joined the estate. He brought innovations to the vineyard, such as cover cropping, and to the winemaking, such as vinification in tank and pressing parcel by parcel. In 2016 Adeline came on board, the founder's granddaughter and Hervé's niece.

Vines and cellar

The estate covers 5 hectares. The varieties grown are Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. The soils are made up of marl, clay, chalk and limestone. The estate follows the principles of viticulture raisonnée and harvests by hand. Ageing takes place in stainless steel and enamel-lined tanks. Some of the bottles are riddled on a gyropalette. For the special cuvées, riddling is done by hand, in the traditional way.

The cuvées

• Esprit Shiraz: one third each of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay, powerful and with vinous notes. The name refers not to the Syrah grape but to the Persian city of Shiraz.
• Blanc de Noirs: an Extra Brut from Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.
• Sensations: an Extra Dry in the style of champagnes of earlier days. The cuvée won another gold medal in 2021.

There are also Tradition, Grande Réserve and Rosé.

The house welcomes visitors Monday to Friday from 9 to 12 and from 1.30 to 5.30 pm, and at weekends by appointment. A cellar tour and guided tasting are available. If you would like to stay longer, you can use the gîte "Chez Denise".