Guyot Guillaume

Méry-Prémecy is a small wine village between the Ardre valley and the Montagne de Reims, west of Reims. The Guyot-Guillaume family has its roots here, about fifteen kilometres from Reims. The family name has a simple explanation: Dominique Guyot married Catherine Guillaume, and Champagne Guyot became Guyot-Guillaume.

Three generations in the vineyard

Geneviève and Jacques Guyot came to the village in 1954 and planted their first vines in the early 1960s. In the mid-1970s Dominique and Catherine took over, expanded the vineyard holdings and built up the direct sales side of the business. Today Agathe and Thomas run the house as the third generation. The Guide Hachette gave the parents' generation 4.6 hectares of vines. That is an older figure and may differ today.

A focus on Meunier, farmed sustainably

The grape mix is unusual for the region: Pinot Meunier makes up 86 per cent, with 11 per cent Pinot Noir and 3 per cent Chardonnay. After taking over the estate in 2015, the family set out to gain environmental certification. The estate received Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) and Viticulture Durable en Champagne (VDC) in 2019, after three years of work. That does not make it an organic estate.

The range is broad. It includes a Blanc de Blancs, Brut Nature, Brut Réserve, Brut Rosé, Brut Tradition, Demi-Sec Tradition, as well as the Cuvée Erreur and the Cuvée N°6. The Brut Tradition is a blend of 85 per cent Pinot Meunier and 15 per cent Pinot Noir with a dosage of 11 g/l. The Brut Réserve is made from equal parts of the three grape varieties. The Cuvée N°6 is an Extra Brut made from Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier aged in barrel. According to the estate, it has been recognised by the Guide Hachette and the Vinalies Nationales.

Champagner Dégorgement à la Glace

Visits and tastings

The family welcomes visitors at the estate and presents their cuvées. Through the Winalist platform you can book a one-hour tasting of three champagnes for 4 to 20 people. According to the platform, prices range from 15 to 20 euros. Because of the tasting fee, it is worth enquiring beforehand: some guests complained that the charges were not made clear from the start. Address: 9 Rue des Sablons, 51390 Méry-Prémecy.