Frederic Lemaire

In Hautvillers, the village considered the cradle of champagne, the Lemaire family runs a small grower house with a long history. Fernand Lemaire founded it in 1903. His parents, Eugène and Angeline, still grew a few vines on the side, though Eugène was above all the village blacksmith. Fernand put everything into winegrowing. He acquired a press of his own and his first tanks, and had a vaulted cellar dug into the limestone of Hautvillers. He was followed by his son Robert and his grandson Frédéric. Frédéric Lemaire took over the estate in 1984 and runs it with his wife Christine. With their daughter Hélène and Benoît, the fourth generation is now part of the house.

One cru, 21 plots

The house farms 6 hectares in 21 plots, all in the premier cru site of Hautvillers, in the heart of the Grande Vallée de la Marne. The grape varieties are split 42% Chardonnay, 38% Meunier and 20% Pinot Noir. All the wines deliberately come from a single origin, to bring out the aromatic character of this terroir. Each cuvée is made from grapes of a single vintage. The estate is HVE certified and a member of the Fédération des Vignerons Indépendants de Champagne.

Work in the cellar

Pressing is done in a vertical 2,000 kg press dating from 1960, which allows a precise selection of the musts. The cellar holds small and medium-sized tanks as well as oak barrels. Ageing on the lees takes place in the bottle, from a minimum of two years up to ten, depending on the cuvée. Riddling is traditionally done by hand, on pupitres or in gyropalettes.

• Tradition Brut: a blend of the three grape varieties
• Tradition Rosé: 95% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir added as red wine
• Myra Extra Brut: 100% Chardonnay, 2014 vintage
• Cuvée 1903 and Millésime 2015: both pure Chardonnay

Visit and tasting

The house is at 88 Rue des Buttes. Visits are possible from Monday to Saturday by telephone appointment. You see the press, the cuverie and the cellars built in 1903, and taste three champagnes. According to the website, the tasting room offers a wide view over Épernay and the surrounding countryside.