Varnier Fanniere

The house of Varnier-Fannière stands on the Rempart du Midi in Avize, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs. The family history goes a long way back: the estate has been in the same family since 1860. The name Fannière comes from Denis Varnier's mother's side of the family, who have been growing grapes since 1860. For a long time the family sold its harvest to other houses. In 1947, Jean Fannière decided to make his own champagne. By 1959 production stood at 10,000 bottles a year, and the estate passed to his daughter Josette and her husband Guy Varnier. The brand takes its name from both families.

Vineyards and grape varieties

At a little over four hectares, the estate is small, and the vines are 45 years old on average. All the parcels lie in the northern Côte des Blancs, split equally between Avize and Cramant, with the smallest in Oiry. Some merchants also list Oger, and Gault&Millau mentions Oger alongside Cramant, so the sources differ slightly here. The holdings in Avize include the Clos du Grand Père, with vines more than 70 years old. Chardonnay clearly dominates. Only the rosé contains 10 per cent Pinot Noir, from Ambonnay.

“The family history goes a long way back: the estate has been in the same family since 1860.

The cuvées

The Saint-Denis cuvée comes exclusively from the Clos du Grand Père in Avize. The Grand Vintage is typically made up half of Avize and half of Cramant. The Jean Fannière Origine is the driest wine in the house. Others include Esprit de Craie, Brut Zéro and the rosé. The wines show the elegance and finesse of the Avize terroir. They are regarded as precise and expressive of their origins, with the graphite note typical of Avize.

A change of generation, visiting and tasting

Denis Varnier died in January 2017. His wife Valérie took over the estate that same year and brought in her first harvest of her own just a few months later. How many generations have run the estate is given differently depending on the source, sometimes as the third, sometimes as the fourth.

The four hectares yield around 35,000 bottles a year, and over 60 per cent go for export. The rest is sold mainly from the estate to private customers. If you would like to taste the wines, you should therefore call in at Avize in person. The house can be reached by telephone on +33 (0)3 26 57 53 36.