Fluteau

Champagne Fluteau is based in Gyé-sur-Seine, in the southern part of the Côte des Bar in the Aube département. The house was founded in 1935 and is one of the older estates in the Aube. It was started by the grower Émile Hérard and his son-in-law Georges Fluteau, at first as a négoce business. Today the family runs the estate in its fourth generation, with around 9 hectares of vines.

Family and generations

Thierry Fluteau took over the estate in 1996. Since 2003 he has worked as a récoltant-manipulant, giving up négociant status. That is unusual, as the path usually runs the other way. His wife Jennifer comes from the USA. Their son Jérémy, who had already been making the cuvées before that, has managed the estate since 2020. Together with his sister Adeline, he carries on the family tradition.

Vineyard and approach

The vines stand on clay-limestone soil. Pinot Noir covers about 7.8 hectares and Chardonnay around 1.2 hectares, roughly 15 per cent of the vineyard area. The estate is certified HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale). Picking is by hand. Thierry Fluteau does without chemical weedkillers and uses only organic materials for fertilising, the aim being to encourage life in the soil.

The wines are mostly vinified in stainless steel tanks with full malolactic fermentation, while a small share ages in oak barrels. The bottles rest on the lees for at least two and a half years, and the vintage champagnes for up to eight. Most of the cuvées are Extra Brut.

The cuvées

The range comprises seven cuvées, and Pinot Noir usually dominates. They include:

• a pure Blanc de Noirs made from Pinot Noir
• a Rosé de Saignée
• the Cuvée Symbiose
• the Cuvée Prestige
• Echo, an Extra Brut from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• a vintage Blanc de Blancs from the estate's own Chardonnay parcels

The Gault&Millau guide gives the Cuvée Symbiose (2008 vintage) 92 out of 100 points, and the Blanc de Noirs 90.

Visiting and tasting

Tastings and sales take place directly at the estate, at 5 Rue de la Nation in Gyé-sur-Seine. According to the website, it is open Monday to Friday from 9 to 12 and from 14:00 to 17:30. At weekends, visits are by appointment only. You can reach the house by telephone on +33 3 25 38 20 02.