Nicolas Feuillatte

A cooperative brand, not a family estate

Nicolas Feuillatte is not a classic grower estate but the brand of a cooperative. The man whose name it bears was born in Paris in 1926 into a family of leading wine and spirits importers. He made his fortune importing African coffee into the USA. In 1976 he created the champagne that carries his name for his American friends. In 1986 he sold the brand to the Centre Vinicole de la Champagne, which Henri Macquart had founded in 1972 in the heart of the Côte des Blancs. From the two lineages came the Centre Vinicole, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte (CV-CNF).

Today around 5,000 growers in 82 cooperatives stand behind the house, farming roughly 2,100 hectares across the whole appellation. Since 2022 the brand has belonged to Terroirs et Vignerons de Champagne. The headquarters are in Chouilly, near Épernay, and the cellar master since 2017 is Guillaume Roffiaen.

Cuvées and style

The foundation of the range is the Réserve Exclusive Brut. It is made up of 20 per cent Chardonnay, 40 per cent Pinot Noir and 40 per cent Meunier and ages for three to four years in the cellar, well beyond the legal minimum. According to the importer, the house keeps reserve wines from five different vintages for each of the three grape varieties. There is also a rosé and an Extra Brut, among others.

The prestige cuvée is called Palmes d'Or. It comes 95 per cent from grand cru sites and is a blend of equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It is bottled in a black, opaque bottle. For prestige cuvées like this one, the house quotes an ageing period of up to ten years.

Visit and tasting

The house welcomes visitors in Chouilly. The tour shows the stages from winemaking to the dressing of the bottle. You can choose a tasting of one, two or three champagnes, according to the website for €20, €25 or €30, lasting around 75 to 90 minutes. If you would like to compare the aromas of the three main grape varieties, you can book a blind tasting workshop from Friday to Sunday. Tours are offered in French and English; for German, the house asks you to get in touch. The cellars sit at about 12 degrees, so warm clothing is advisable. Booking in advance is recommended.