Lete-Vautrain

The story begins in 1968 in Château-Thierry, where Robert Lété and his wife Liliane Vautrain founded the family business. They combined their family names to create their own brand. They started with a plot of 40 ares and added small parcels almost every year. Their children Michèle and Frédéric developed the estate further and handed it on in 2011 to the Baron-Fuenté winegrowing family. Today Sophie and Ignace Baron run the house. They wanted to preserve the identity and independence of the brand.

Vineyards and grape varieties

The estate farms around 7.5 hectares in the Marne Valley. Other sources round this up to 8 hectares. The vines stand mainly in Château-Thierry and Essômes-sur-Marne. In addition there are two historic plots in Leuvrigny near Épernay. Leuvrigny is regarded as the place where Lété-Vautrain began. The soils are mostly sand and clay. The varieties planted are Meunier (49%), Chardonnay (28%) and Pinot Noir (23%). An important part of the sites lies on Côte 204, which was fiercely contested in 1918 during the Second Battle of the Marne.

Methods and cuvées

Lété-Vautrain is a récoltant-manipulant. The house controls the whole path from vineyard to finished wine itself. Gault&Millau lists the estate with its HVE certification (Haute Valeur Environnementale). The champagnes undergo malolactic fermentation only in part.

• Brut 204: The non-vintage is made up of 50% Pinot Meunier, 25% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir and ages for at least 36 months on the lees.
• Brut Zéro: It was created in 2008 and is bottled without dosage.
• Millésime: The vintage champagne rests in the cellar for at least seven years.
• Rosé Royal: A rosé is also part of the range.

Visiting

The house is in Charly-sur-Marne, at 21 Avenue Fernand Drouet. Visits are by appointment only. The telephone number is +33 (0)3 23 82 01 97.