R & L Legras

The house of R & L Legras is based in Chouilly, a village classed as Grand Cru on the northern edge of the Côte des Blancs. The Legras family can be traced there back to the 16th century. Winegrowing is considered to have begun in 1808, when Honoré Legras bought vines there. Today Julien Barbier runs the house as owner and cellar master, the sixth generation of the family.

From récoltant to négociant

In the 1950s the brothers René and Lucien set up on their own as récoltant-manipulants. In 1972 they switched to négociant-manipulant status, because they had started buying in additional grapes. That is where the name R & L comes from. The house should not be confused with Legras & Haas, a different producer in the same village.

Chardonnay from Chouilly

The house is built on Chardonnay. The wines come from the Grand Cru village of Chouilly. Only for the rosé does the red wine used for colouring come from Ambonnay. Accounts of the vineyard holdings differ. One merchant gives 5 hectares of its own, all Grand Cru and planted with Chardonnay. Another gives 6 hectares and says most of the grapes are bought in. The Champagne Club Magazin speaks of 25 hectares and of purchases exclusively in Chouilly.

The foundation of the range is the Blanc de Blancs. It is 100% Chardonnay, ages 24 to 30 months on the lees in bottle and has a dosage of 7 g/l. At the top sits the Cuvée Saint-Vincent. It is named after the patron saint of winegrowers and was first made in 1964. It comes from old Chardonnay vines in Chouilly, and the grapes are selected with great care for optimum ripeness. Alongside it there is a Brut Rosé, an Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs and the Présidence Vieilles Vignes (2014 vintage).

Visits and tastings

The house welcomes visitors for a cellar tour and tasting at 10 Rue des Partelaines, Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, in French and English. The regional tourism portal lists 15 euros per person for a visit with tasting. We recommend booking your visit in advance.