Louis Brochet

Écueil lies at the foot of the Montagne de Reims, about 20 minutes from Reims, and is classified Premier Cru. Champagne Louis Brochet is a récoltant-manipulant and has been making champagne for four generations. Today Hélène and Louis Brochet run the house and farm 13 hectares spread across 50 parcels. The two are siblings in everyday life too: their motto is #sisterbrother.

Family and history

The house gives 1881 as its founding year. The Louis Brochet born in 1881 gave the house its name, which his descendants chose for the brand in 2011. By the estate's own account, it has been based in Écueil since 1943. Hélène has worked at the estate since 2005. Louis, a trained oenologist, created his first cuvée of his own, Extra Noir, in 2010. Sources give either 2012 or 2013 for when they took over the running of the house.

Vines and approach

The Pinot Noir d'Écueil comes from massal selection and makes up about three quarters of production. Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier complete the picture. The viticulture follows the principles of viticulture raisonnée. The estate is not organic. In 2017 it received HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) and Viticulture Durable en Champagne certification.

The range includes an Extra Brut, a Pinot Noir-dominant Brut, a Rosé, a Blanc de Blancs and a Blanc de Noirs, as well as vintage champagnes. Among the best-known cuvées is the Réserve Perpétuelle, a solera of Pinot Noir from the years 2010 to 2016. It is the house's first cuvée without dosage, and it is bottled under natural cork with an agrafe. The Cuvée Alain is a tribute to the siblings' father. The 2014 vintage contains 66% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay.

Visit and tasting

The tour takes in the press, the cuverie, the ageing cellar and the areas for dégorgement and labelling. Three cuvées from the Héritage, Signature and Éphémère collections are tasted along the way, and the visit ends with a panoramic view over the vines. It costs 35 euros. Groups are limited to 10 people, so booking ahead is advisable. Occasionally there are also yoga-and-champagne workshops.

Address: 12 Rue de Villers aux Nœuds, 51500 Écueil.