Pessenet Jean-Jacques Et Fils

Reuil lies in the Marne Valley, close to Épernay, the capital of champagne. Here, on the Grande Rue, is the home of the estate Champagne Jean-Jacques Pessenet et Fils. It is a small family business. The vineyards sit in the middle of the hilly landscape of the Vallée de la Marne. The village now belongs to the commune of Cœur-de-la-Vallée.

The estate and its vineyards

The operating company was founded on 1 March 1999. Jean-Jacques Pessenet is registered as president. Family members lend a hand, as the "et Fils" in the name suggests. According to a regional publication, 55 plots are spread across a total of 7 hectares, farmed following the principle of "culture raisonnée", that is, with reduced intervention, in order to preserve the fruit as far as possible. The three classic grape varieties of Champagne are grown: Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The grapes are picked by hand. The wines go through alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, and the second fermentation takes place in the bottle.

The cuvées

The range comprises five champagnes:

• Tradition: regarded as a champagne full of freshness and cheerfulness
• Nature: the drier, non-dosed line
• Blanc de Blancs: made from Chardonnay
• Rosé: contains a proportion of Pinot Noir that is vinified as a red wine
• Prestige: according to a winemakers' platform, from older vines and hillside sites

Visiting and tasting

The estate receives visitors by appointment only. Tastings and cellar visits are possible by arrangement. The address is 10 bis Grande Rue, 51480 Reuil. The telephone number is +33 3 26 58 03 43. If you are travelling in the Marne Valley and would like to get to know a small grower away from the big houses, you can taste the cuvées here, right where they are made.