Laurent Lequart

Champagne Laurent Lequart is a family estate in Passy-Grigny, in the heart of the Marne Valley. The estate has been handed down through four generations, right on the border between the Marne and the Aisne. Laurent's father Claude joined the Passy-Grigny cooperative in 1967 and was for many years one of its wine managers and board members.

From cooperative grower to his own brand

Laurent Lequart, who holds a BTA Viti-Oeno (a vocational diploma in viticulture and oenology), brought in his first harvest under his own name in 1988 and launched the Laurent Lequart brand. The first vintage was bottled in 1989, with 2,700 bottles. Today he works the estate together with his family.

Vineyards and way of working

The estate farms 11.40 hectares, planted mostly with the leading grape of the Marne Valley: Pinot Meunier. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir also grow in Passy-Grigny. The soils behind the Collection Découverte are clay-limestone and clay-sand, and lie in Passy-Grigny, Sainte-Gemme, Verneuil and Champvoisy. The village sits on a natural limestone fault, which according to the estate brings freshness and elegance.

Laurent has practised sustainable viticulture since 1988 and holds the HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) and VDC (Viticulture Durable en Champagne) certifications. HVE dates from 2019, VDC from 2020. Harvesting is by hand and pressing is traditional. All the wines are vinified at the Passy-Grigny cooperative. The house stresses complex wines with long ageing and low dosage.

Cuvées, visits and tasting

The range is divided into three collections: Découverte, Gourmande and Exception. The wines include the Cuvée Prestige Extra Brut, the Réserve Extra Brut and the doux "Douceur de Meunier". All three were awarded medals at the Berliner Wein Trophy in 2019. Falstaff gave the Prestige Pur Meunier Extra Brut 92 points. There are also Coteaux Champenois: a white single-parcel wine and a red from the slopes of Passy-Grigny. They are made only in years when the grapes reach the necessary ripeness. The estate also produces ratafia.

The estate offers visits with a tasting. Address: 17 Rue Bruslard, 51700 Passy-Grigny. The village lies about 33 kilometres south of Reims. It is best to book ahead.