Jl Vergnon

The house of J.L. Vergnon stands at 1 Grande Rue in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, one of the most famous grand cru villages of the Côte des Blancs. According to the family, it has been theirs for five generations, nearly two centuries. It first housed the firm of Regnault Frères, and Elisabeth Regnault married a Vergnon. Her son Jean-Louis inherited the house.

From 1950 to today

In 1950 Jean-Louis Vergnon replanted the vineyard on the slopes of the Côte des Blancs. The house has made its own champagnes since 1985. As early as 1987 the Guide Hachette awarded the first Extra Brut a "Coup de Coeur". His son Alain took up the torch in 1979, and Didier and Brigitte followed later. Today Didier Vergnon and his son Clément run the estate as the fourth and fifth generations. Since 2002 the oenologist Christophe Constant has been responsible for viticulture and winemaking. According to the US importer Skurnik, he now works for the estate as a consultant.

Vineyards and methods

The estate is small, at around 5 hectares. Gault&Millau gives 5.31 hectares with plots in Vertus, Oger, Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The focus is on Chardonnay from Le Mesnil. This includes several plots in and beside the famous Les Chétillons site. Les Hautes Mottes is a single vineyard with the estate's oldest vines and is bottled as a wine of its own. The vines average 45 years of age.

Over the past 20 years the family has moved its farming towards organic practice. The estate is also HVE certified (Haute Valeur Environnementale). Chaptalisation and malolactic fermentation are avoided, and the dosage is low or left out altogether.

Cuvées, visits and tastings

The range includes Éloquence, Conversation, Murmure, Rosémotion, MSNL and O.G., among others. Conversation and Éloquence are grand cru Chardonnays, while Murmure carries the Premier Cru appellation. According to the Guide Hachette, Éloquence comes from Chardonnay grown in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger and Avize.

The estate welcomes visitors for cellar and vineyard tours and tastings. It is open Monday to Friday from 8 to 12 and from 1.30 to 5.30 pm, and at weekends by appointment only. Booking ahead on +33 3 26 57 53 86 is advisable in every case.