Richard Fliniaux

Richard Fliniaux is a family estate in Aÿ, one of the famous grand cru villages of the Vallée de la Marne. Since 1905 the house has made champagne from vines that grow in Aÿ and are classified as grand cru. The estate is at 12 Rue Roulot.

Family and generations

Since 1997 Nadège has worked in the cellars of her grandfather Fernand Fliniaux and has taken over part of her father's succession, together with her husband Jean-Jacques. Today Nadège and her son James run the house. Both hold to the traditional methods in winemaking. The domaine's website describes the estate as a house with a family structure since 1905, and one trade guide classes the growers as craftsmen who carry on the knowledge of their grandfather Fernand.

Cuvées and grape varieties

Volumes stay small: five grand cru cuvées are made in small batches of a few hundred bottles per wine. Since 2011 the house has introduced new cuvées, including single-parcel bottlings and vintage champagnes, to show the character of its terroir. These include a numbered 2011 single-parcel vintage in a limited series.

“Since 1905 the house has made champagne from vines that grow in Aÿ and are classified as grand cru.

• Blanc de Blancs d'Aÿ: 100% Chardonnay.
• Perle d'Aÿ: 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay. Gault&Millau calls it the flagship of the house. It is based 40% on the 2016 harvest, with the remaining 60% coming from a solera of earlier vintages.

A trade directory lists the estate under the heading Viticulture Raisonnée, that is, controlled, sustainably minded viticulture. We have not been able to find proof of an organic certification.

Visiting and tasting

For visitors, James has developed the "Aÿ Eco Visite". It takes you through the historic slopes of Aÿ, which have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015, in a fully electric car. The tasting takes place in the vineyards and at the estate, where you try three cuvées, and the tour lasts about two hours. Tours are given in German, English and French, among other languages. If you prefer something shorter, you can join a workshop in which three cuvées are served with six macarons from the Pâtisserie Baillet in Aÿ. The vineyard tour costs from €45 per person. The cellar is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 12 noon and from 2:30pm to 4:30pm. It is wise to book ahead, as the tours are private and run in small groups.