Lancelot Pienne

The house of Lancelot-Pienne is based in Cramant, a grand cru village on the Côte des Blancs. The family speaks of five generations. The house was founded at the start of the 20th century by Jean-Baptiste Lancelot, who had previously worked for many years as a cellar master at Mumm. The name Lancelot-Pienne came about in 1967, when Jean-Baptiste's son Albert married Brigitte Pienne, who came from a winegrowing family.

Gilles Lancelot and the vineyards

Since 2005, Gilles, a trained oenologist, has run the estate. He studied at the champagne school in Avize and farms 8.3 hectares, roughly half in Cramant, Chouilly and Avize, and the other half in Boursault, Mancy and Monthelon in the Marne Valley. The grape varieties break down into 60 per cent Chardonnay, 30 per cent Meunier and 10 per cent Pinot Noir. The vineyard management carries the Terra Vitis and Haute Valeur Environnementale 3 labels. No grapes are sold to the négociant houses.

The cuvées

The focus is on blanc de blancs from Cramant. The Table Ronde is regarded as the house's calling card and is a single-variety Chardonnay from Cramant, Avize and Chouilly. It is made up of 85 per cent of the 2021 vintage and 15 per cent from a réserve perpétuelle.

• Marie Lancelot: a vintage Chardonnay from Cramant alone, aged ten months in stainless steel tank and 60 months in the chalk cellar. The name goes back to Julien's older sister.
• Perceval: a grand cru Chardonnay from Cramant, blended with Pinot Noir from Boursault.
• Accord Majeur: an extra brut from all three grape varieties.
• Les Gouttes d'Or: a single-vineyard champagne from one parcel in Cramant. No oak is used.

Visits and tastings

The estate welcomes visitors. Two options are listed on Rue des Vignerons, priced at 45 to 60 euros per person. One visitor reports a post-harvest tour with must from the fresh harvest, followed by a tasting of several champagnes. Address: 1 Place Pierre Rivière, 51530 Cramant. It is advisable to book in advance.