Samuel Paveau

Bouzy is one of the best-known Pinot Noir villages on the Montagne de Reims and holds grand cru status. This is where you find the champagne house Samuel Paveau, at 6 Rue du Mont Rouge. The estate is a récoltant-manipulant: it describes itself as a grower who harvests in Bouzy and makes his own champagne. The tourist office describes it as a family estate in a modern, single-storey building.

From family estate to own label

According to the Guide Hachette, Samuel Paveau took over his parents' estate in 1998. He launched his own label in 2003 and renovated the cellar in 2004. The Guide Hachette des Vins 2008 lists 5 hectares of vines spread across twelve communes. The text we have today speaks of six hectares in the Côte des Noirs, the Côte des Blancs and the Marne Valley. This more recent figure comes from the estate itself and we could not confirm it independently. At the time, the Hachette entry awarded two stars each to two cuvées from the 2004 harvest.

The champagnes

According to the tourist board, the range includes four cuvées: Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Cuvée Grand Cru and Rosé. The Brut is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. A Swiss merchant describes it as a complex, charming champagne with a high proportion of Pinot Noir. It is aged in stainless steel, which keeps the wines fresh despite their rich character. The same source states that Paveau does without oak barrels entirely. We found no documented information on organic certification or particular dosage levels.

Visit and tasting

The estate welcomes visitors. On the tour you see the stainless steel tanks, the press and the cellars. The tour is available on request, in English and French. According to the tourist board, tasting is free for individual visitors if you buy at least six bottles. The same source gives opening hours of 10 to 12 and 14 to 18. Book ahead, ideally by phone on 03 26 58 26 37 (from the UK, +33 3 26 58 26 37). For groups, the listing gives a maximum of ten people.