Perseval Harteel

The house is in Chamery, a premier cru village in the Montagne de Reims nature park, at 20 Rue Haute. Today Thomas Perseval runs the estate. It has been handed down through several generations, and in the early 1980s his parents left the cooperative and began selling their champagne under the name Perseval-Harteel.

Family and organic farming

Thomas joined his parents in 2003 and focused on respectful, close-to-nature work in the vineyards. Since the 2012 harvest the whole estate has been certified organic by Ecocert. An importer's profile dates his break from his parents' production to 2009, and according to it his first cuvée of his own came with the certification.

Sites and grape varieties

On 2.5 hectares in six parcels he grows Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. Alongside them are old varieties such as Petit Meslier, Arbane and Pinot Blanc, planted on soils of clay, sand and chalk. Three sites are known by name:

• La Pocelle: on the edge of the village, deep sandy soil, facing every direction, planted with Pinot Noir and Meunier.
• La Masure: chalk, clay and a little sand, sloping to the north-east, planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
• Le Village: north-facing, chalk and clay, planted with Chardonnay.

In the cellar and in the glass

In the cellar Perseval intervenes very little. Sulphur is almost entirely left out. The old varieties go into the blend, and eight months on the lees and in oak give the cuvées more breadth. Each parcel is vinified separately, and the bottles are disgorged by hand.

The range includes a Brut Tradition and a rosé. Art' Terre is a brut nature. It is made up of 40 per cent Pinot Noir, 40 per cent Meunier and 20 per cent Chardonnay from three parcels in Chamery facing north-east to north. The Grande Cuvée, from the end of 2015, blends Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier in equal thirds, with no dosage, and comes entirely from the 2012 vintage.

Contact

The estate can be reached by telephone on +33 3 26 97 64 88. In 2014 the house was among the Vignerons Indépendants. If you would like to visit, it is best to ask in advance.