Lancelot Philippe

Philippe Lancelot runs a small family estate in Cramant, one of the grand cru villages of the Côte des Blancs. His parents founded the domaine in the 1970s. Both had inherited vines around the village, in Cramant, Avize, Chouilly and Oiry, as well as in Épernay and Aÿ. Today the house farms four hectares of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.

Biodynamic farming

Lancelot began the certification process in 2011. The first organically certified harvest followed in 2014, and the whole four hectares are AB-certified. He has applied biodynamic methods on all his parcels since 2012. As a family estate, the domaine is certified biodynamic under the Demeter label. Annual production is around 25,000 bottles.

In the cellar he has worked with the oenologist Hervé Jestin since the 2009 harvest. The grapes are picked at optimal ripeness, there is no chaptalisation, and since the 2015 vintage he has vinified with little or no sulphur. Because the wines arrive with their own natural balance, they do not necessarily need a dosage.

The idea: parcels and favourites of the heart

Lancelot's aim is to bring out the DNA of each site and, harvest after harvest, to create cuvées with their own identity. He calls this the idea of "parcelles et coups de cœur" (parcels and favourites of the heart). The words he uses for it are purity, individuality and originality.

The wines include single-site bottlings such as the Chouilly Grand Cru "Plumecoq" and several vintages of Cramant Grand Cru. Other cuvées carry names such as "Les Bas de Saran" and "Vieilles Vignes de Cramant". The 2012 cuvée "Ivresse" also comes from grand cru sites in Cramant and Chouilly and is vinified as a Brut Nature without sulphur.

Visiting and tasting

The estate is at 155 rue de la Garenne in Cramant. Visits and tastings are by appointment only. Anyone wanting to get to know biodynamics and Chardonnay from Cramant, Chouilly and Oiry should therefore get in touch in good time.