Richard Cheurlin

Richard Cheurlin belongs to the fourth generation of his winegrowing family and set up as a grower in 1978. He had studied in Beaune and brought back ideas such as micro-vinification in barrel, showcasing the individual terroirs and a thoughtful approach to vine care. His house is in Celles-sur-Ource, a wine village in the Côte des Bar in the Aube département.

Family and vineyards

The family has always grown vines, and the first cuvées under their own name date from the 19th century. A first purchase of vineyard land goes back to 1788. Depending on the source, Richard Cheurlin's vineyard area is given as anything from 7 to 8.3 hectares. The grapes grown are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, on clay-limestone soil with layers of white marl.

His children Lucie and Sébastien run their own estate under the name L & S Cheurlin. It belongs to the old family group, while their father continues to farm his own estate using controlled, environmentally conscious viticulture (lutte raisonnée). The children farm around 5 hectares, all of them certified organic. The first certified harvest was 2014.

Approach and cuvées

Richard Cheurlin relies on selection, parcel-by-parcel vinification and ageing in barrel. To do this he bought small tanks so that each parcel could be vinified separately and the cuvée kept apart from the taille. In 1987 he released the Cuvée Jeanne, named after his grandmother and vinified and aged entirely in barrel. By his own account, he was the first in the region at that time to return to ageing champagne in barrel. Among the specialities is also a rosé made by fermenting on the skins.

According to the website, the range comprises Demi-sec Carte Noire, Brut Carte Or, Brut Rosé, Brut Millésimé Blanc de Blancs and Brut Cuvée H. There are also wines from the AOC Coteaux champenois.

Visiting and tasting

The estate welcomes visitors in the cellar and reception room, Monday to Friday mornings and afternoons, and at weekends by appointment. Booking ahead is advisable in any case. You can find the estate at 16 Rue des Huguenots, 10110 Celles-sur-Ource, or call +33 3 25 38 55 04.