Pannier

Pannier is not a classic family-run grower estate but a brand with a cooperative background. In 1899 Louis-Eugène Pannier began the story of the house in Dizy, on the edge of Épernay. In 1937 the purchase of old quarries in Château-Thierry opened a new chapter. The brand has been based there ever since, in the western Marne Valley.

From négociant house to cooperative

The brand now belongs to the Covama cooperative. The house stayed in the same family until 1971, when the local growers' cooperative took it over. Other sources give 1974 as the year of the takeover. In 1988 Covama extended its catchment area to the whole of the Champagne appellation. Over roughly fifty years the vineyard area grew from 124 to 679 hectares. The three classic grape varieties are used: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

The assemblage was long in the hands of Philippe Dupuis. He joined the cooperative as an oenologist in 1982 and became cellar master in 1988. He has since retired, so the text on the website no longer names him as the person currently in charge. The house produces around 600,000 bottles in about ten cuvées.

The cuvées

The house describes the Brut Sélection as its essential cuvée. The prestige cuvée is the Égérie, created in 1985. The 2015 vintage is made of half Chardonnay and half Pinot Noir and is dosed as an Extra Brut. There is also an Égérie Rosé de Saignée.

Medieval cellars and visiting

The cellars run for more than two kilometres and have been dug into the rock since the 12th century. They were first quarried for building the town of Château-Thierry. Today the wines age there. An archer carved into the rock in the 14th century watches over them. He is the emblem of the house. The engraving was discovered in 1999.

Visitors can choose between three formats: a tasting of one cuvée (Brut Sélection), of two cuvées or of three cuvées. The house is open Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 6pm. Bookings can be made by telephone on +33 (0)3 23 69 51 30. Warm clothing is advisable, as it is only a few degrees deep underground.