Huguenot Tassin

The house of Huguenot-Tassin is based in Celles-sur-Ource in the Aube department. The village counts more than 40 champagne brands for barely 500 inhabitants. The house was founded in 1984 by Benoît and Marie-Claire Huguenot. The Tassin family was already pressing the local growers' grapes at the start of the 20th century. The Hachette wine guide also reports that Édouard Huguenot's great-grandfather helped set up the first communal press (pressoir) in Celles-sur-Ource.

Family and way of working

The house is now in its fourth generation. It is run by the founders' children, Adeline and Edouard. This is a grower estate that works exclusively with its own grapes: the entire harvest from its vineyards is vinified and made into champagne. According to the house, the vineyard covers 6 hectares, grown from what was at first a small collection of plots. An older version of the text gives seven hectares, about half of them old vines.

The vineyards are farmed on the principles of "viticulture raisonnée", that is, controlled, environmentally conscious cultivation. The estate is certified Terra Vitis and HVE. It is not organic. The growers' watchword is precision.

Grape varieties and cuvées

The main varieties are Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. Pinot Blanc is something of a rarity: it survives in the Aube as an authorised variety. It shapes the cuvée Les Fioles. The terroir of Les Fioles lies above the Ource valley. Gault&Millau rates Les Fioles 91 out of 100.

According to Hachette, the Cuvée Tradition is made up of 35% Pinot Blanc, 60% Pinot Noir and 5% Chardonnay. The Cuvée Signature Brut is a pure Pinot Noir. It is made entirely from reserve wines, ages for two years on the lees and comes from clay-limestone soils. The alcohol content is 12%. It won a gold medal at the Concours des Effervescents du Monde in 2022.

Visiting and tasting

The house invites visitors to tour the estate, from the vineyard to the making of the cuvées, and sells its champagnes on site. Gault&Millau mentions direct sales and organised visits. The address: 4 Rue du Val Lune, 10110 Celles-sur-Ource, telephone +33 (0)3 25 38 54 49. Booking ahead is advisable.