Simart Moreau

Champagne Simart-Moreau is a small family estate in Chouilly, a grand cru village in the Côte des Blancs. Pascal Simart founded the house in 1974. In 1976 he married a Mademoiselle Moreau and created the name Simart Moreau. The first commercial release followed in 1977. Sources give 1976 for the first bottles in some places and 1977 in others.

Family and vineyards

Jean-Philippe Simart represents the fourth generation in the vineyard and took over running the estate in 2013. He had already joined his father's business in 1997. It is a small operation: the figures vary between 4.5 and 4.7 hectares. Around three quarters of the land lie in grand cru sites, the rest in premier cru. The grapes grown are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, with Chardonnay clearly dominant. It grows mainly in Chouilly and Cramant.

Approach

The estate is certified HVE level 3 (Haute Valeur Environnementale) and VDC (Viticulture Durable en Champagne). This is not an organic certification, but it stands for environmentally conscious farming. The grapes are picked by hand, and pressing is still done with the vertical press. Before disgorgement, the wines rest in the cellar for at least three years after the harvest. According to one retailer, annual production is just under 30,000 bottles.

“In 1976 he married a Mademoiselle Moreau and created the name Simart Moreau.

The cuvées

At the top of the range is the Cuvée des Crayères. It comes from old Chardonnay vines in the grand cru of Chouilly. The name recalls the chalk subsoil that runs through the cellars. The 2014 vintage is a blanc de blancs in an extra brut style. The estate reports gold and silver medals at the Concours des Chardonnay du Monde. The range also includes Brut Sélection, Grande Réserve, Rosé and Extra Brut Réserve, among others. The Brut Nature is 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir and contains no added sugar. The house's website also lists gold medals from Paris Millésime 2015 and from the Concours des vins Elle 2017. At the Concours International de Lyon, the Grande Réserve 2017 won silver.

Contact

The estate is at 9 Rue du Moulin in Chouilly. You can reach it by telephone on +33 3 26 55 42 06 or by email at contact@champagne-simart-moreau.fr. We found no reliable information on visiting and tasting hours, so please ask the estate in advance.