Verrier & Fils

Emmanuel Verrier runs the maison in Étoges, the fifth generation to do so. The village lies on the ridge of hills between the Côte des Blancs and the Marais de Saint-Gond, between Épernay and Sézanne. The family has grown vines here since 1860. In 1929 his grandfather Raymond decided to make champagne and bought additional plots, the best he could find, to do it. Emmanuel Verrier has run the estate on his own since 2009.

Vineyard and approach

The estate covers 35 plots on 5 hectares of sunny slopes. About 3 hectares lie in Étoges, just under 1 hectare in Fèrebrianges, 1 hectare in Beaunay and 5 ares in Épernay. The plantings are 57% Meunier, 34% Chardonnay and 9% Pinot Noir. The vines average 45 years of age. A large part of the plots is planted with selection massale, and the oldest vines are over 90 years old. The soil is belemnite chalk.

The entire vineyard is HVE certified (Haute Valeur Environnementale). No herbicides or insecticides are used. Yields are low, at 10,000 to 12,000 kg per hectare, and the harvest is done by hand. On average the estate produces 30,000 bottles, all sold directly from the property. Part of the harvest is sold on to the trade as grapes and clear wine (vin clair). So the statement that every cuvée comes exclusively from the estate's own grapes applies to the bottles of the house, not to the entire harvest.

The cuvées

The house makes six cuvées. They include:

• Tradition: 75% Pinot Meunier, 20% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Noir.
• Fleuron: 90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir. Maryse and Francis Verrier created it in 1985. It contains 25% reserve wine from ten different sites.
• Ismérie: Blanc de blancs, extra brut. The cuvée is dedicated to the wife of the estate's founder.
• Raymond Verrier: A vintage cuvée of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir from vines over 50 years old.
• There is also a rosé and a blanc de noirs made from Pinot Noir.

Visits and tastings

Cellar tours, tastings and direct sales from the estate are possible by appointment. The cellar tour lasts about an hour and costs 12 euros per person. A tasting of four cuvées also costs 12 euros per person. We recommend getting in touch beforehand.