Julien Chopin

This family estate was founded in 1947 in Monthelon and is run by three generations of growers. The village lies about 6 kilometres south of Épernay. Domaine Julien Chopin makes champagne and Ratafia Champenois.

Three generations of Chopins

Julien Chopin founded the house with just one hectare of vines. In 1969 his son Henri widened the range and opened the estate to visitors. In 2006 his grandson Emmanuel took over the running of it. Today the family farms 6 hectares. Emmanuel Chopin prefers champagnes with a low dosage.

Vineyards, grape varieties and cuvées

The vines stand in the Coteaux Sud d'Épernay, which the estate calls the balcony of Champagne. According to the house, the Côte des Blancs is added as a second terroir. The varieties grown are Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc. The Grand Millésime 2012 comes from Monthelon, Mancy and Moussy, on mostly clay-rich limestone soils. It is hand-harvested, farmed to HVE standards and aged on the lees for around 11 years.

The range is split into two lines. Les Classiques includes Carte d'Or and Carte Noire. Les Originelles includes Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru, Blanc de Noirs, Blanc de Rosé and Grand Millésime. The Classiques are based on assemblage, while the Originelles are guided by the origin of the grapes. Added to these are eight Ratafias Champenois made from different grape varieties, some of them produced using the solera method.

Visits and tastings

The cellar is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 9am and 5pm. The offer runs from a simple tasting, through a visit with tasting and nibbles, to an aroma workshop and an in-depth tasting. You can also adopt 3, 6 or 12 vines for a year. According to Winalist, the experiences cost between 22 and 68 euros. Booking is possible via the house's website.