Rene Jolly

Champagne René Jolly is based in Landreville, in the heart of the Côte des Bar in the Aube département. The family estate has existed since 1737. Hervé Jolly took over the business in 1964. Pierre-Eric Jolly has run it since 2000. He came back to the estate after ten years of training, work placements and military service, and kept the René Jolly name.

Vines and methods

The estate farms 14 hectares, spread across five family-owned parcels. They are planted 75% to Pinot Noir and 25% to Chardonnay, plus the historic grape variety Arbane. The champagnes are made exclusively from the estate's own grapes.

The vineyard is HVE certified and works without synthetic fertilisers or insecticides. Harvesting and sorting are done by hand. The wines systematically go through malolactic fermentation and are aged in barrel. The estate makes its own liqueur d'expédition (the shipping dosage). Disgorgement is done by hand for the entire production and without ice. At the estate, the technique is known as "à la volée".

Cuvées

• Blanc de Blancs Brut: 100% Chardonnay, a few months in barrel. The estate describes aromas of white blossom and toast.
• Blanc de Noirs: Made from pure Pinot Noir and, according to Hachette, the house's main cuvée.
• Cuvée R.J: It contains 46% Pinot Noir and 54% Chardonnay from the 2010 and 2012 vintages. 15% of the wines were aged in oak before bottling in 2013.
• Other cuvées: Cuvée Spéciale, Cuvée Spéciale Rosé and Rosé d'Assemblage.

Visit and tasting

The tour is thorough and informative. It runs from the press through the cuverie and the 18th-century vaulted cellars to disgorgement. You enter the estate through an 18th-century stone gateway into the large courtyard. There stands a lime tree of almost 300 years, planted in 1730. The modern press is said to be unique in Champagne.

The estate holds the Vignobles & Découvertes label for the quality of its cellar visits. It is open Monday to Saturday, and booking is recommended. Groups of up to 40 people are possible, and English is spoken. Address: 10 Rue de la Gare, 10110 Landreville, telephone +33 3 25 38 50 91.