Emmanuel Brochet
| Vigneron | Emmanuel Brochet |
| Location | Villers-Aux-Nœuds (Marne) |
| Size of Domaine | 2.5 ha |
| Terroir | Continental climate with Oceanic influence. Silty clay-limestone soil over chalk bedrock. Gentle slope. 90-150m altitude. |
| Viticulture | Certified organic (Ecocert) |
| View Emmanuel Brochet wines ↓ |
Despite its 1er cru status, it’s likely that Villers-Aux-Noeuds, just to the south-west of Reims, would be consigned to obscurity if it weren’t for Emmanuel Brochet. There are a mere 25ha in the village, and population expansion has brought the city even closer – the view from Emmanuel’s 2.5ha vineyard of Le Mont Benoit offers not only the verdant hillsides and yellow fieldscapes typical of the Champenois countryside, but also electricity pylons and the extending urban sprawl from Reims just a kilometre away.
Emmanuel began working a portion of his family’s holdings in 1997, bottling his first wine in 2002. He has a single parcel of vines on a gentle SE-facing slope in the lieu-dit of Le Mont Benoit. The hill lies on a bedrock of Cretaceous chalk under topsoil ranging from about 60cm at the bottom of the slope to just 20cm at the top. The parcel is planted with all three major varieties, and the oldest vines date from 1962, although about half the parcel was replanted in 1986, following the devastating frosts of the year before.
In 2008, Emmanuel began an organic conversion process that was completed swiftly. "The way I came to organic farming was not through any sort of militant philosophy, but through the pleasure of wine", he says. "If you take pleasure in what you do, and if your environment gives you pleasure, your work will be better. It’s a question of harmony." He believes that it has improved the overall quality of his wines. "I find more minerality in them and a richer expression. The wines are more complex, with more aroma, and extra length on the palate."
Yields are restricted, but Emmanuel believes that if too low it creates an unbalanced wine, one that lacks freshness. The grapes are always picked at over ten degrees of natural potential alcohol, and the musts are never chaptalised, as he doesn’t like the way it changes the aromas of the wine. Emmanuel owns a 2000kg vertical press, half the size of a standard press, which allows him to separate as many different lots as possible according to variety, vine age, and location within the vineyard. He pays special attention to the 'coeur de cuvée' (heart of the first pressing), which produces the most harmonious wines; only a portion of the 'cuvée' is kept, with the 'taille' either being sold to the négoce or used to make ratafia.
But it’s not all work here; there’s a nice balance to Emmanuel’s life, as well as to his champagnes. He is a self-taught artist, and looking at the walls of his study, it is clear that many of his friends are artists and creative types too. He also makes gin in his home-built distillery, and his idea of a perfect day off is cycle racing with his mates.
Emmanuel Brochet Wines
LE MONT BENOIT (2022)
Villers-aux-Noeuds 1er Cru
37% Pinot Noir, 33% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay
37% Pinot Noir, 33% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay (12% alc.)
This comes from vines averaging 40yo on the SE-facing hillside of Le Mont Benoit – they sit in the bottom part of the slope, planted in 50-60cm of clay-limestone topsoil over a calcareous chalk bedrock. Made from the 2022 vintage, the wine underwent spontaneous fermentation and 11-month ageing in new (5-10%) to 12yo barrels. Tiny doses of SO2 are added at pressing as well as post-malolactic fermentation, eventually totalling a low 25mg/l. Emmanuel's iconic champagne always feels vivid and vibrant with oyster-like brininess and rich texture. Disgorged 07/25 - Dosage 2g/l.
LES HAUTES VIGNES 2018
Villers-aux-Noeuds 1er Cru
50% Pinot Meunier, 50% Chardonnay
50% Pinot Meunier, 50% Chardonnay (12% alc.)
This is Emmanuel's top wine, made from a massal selection planted in 1962 at a density of 6,000 vines/ha. The two varieties were previously bottled separately under two cuvées called Les Hauts Meuniers and Les Hauts Chardonnays. Situated at the top of Le Mont Benoit, the vines sit on a shallow topsoil (20–25cm), their roots easily reaching a deeper layer of Cretaceous chalk – it imparts the wines with structure, amplitude, and nerve, leaving a clear mineral print. Vinified in 350ltr barrels, the wines undergo malolactic fermentation and are left undisturbed (no racking or 'bâtonnage') for a year before bottling. They age on their lees 'sur lattes' for six years before disgorgement. Tightly coiled, it slowly unfurls in the glass with waves of mirabelle, lemon, and 'pêche de vigne' – it is racy and beautifully expresses Villers-aux-Noeuds’ chalky terroir, with a plump texture and savoury backbone. Disgorged 11/25 – Dosage 2g/l.
ROSÉ D’ASSEMBLAGE
Villers-aux-Noeuds 1er Cru
100% Pinot Meunier
100% Pinot Meunier (12% alc.)
This is a 'cuvée de négoce' made from organic-certified 1965 vines in the lieu-dit La Molette – Villers-aux-Noeuds – on the same chalky outcrop as Le Mont Benoit. Emmanuel opted for a 'rosé d’assemblage', adding 10% of meunier red wine. Based on the 2023 vintage, with 20% of 2022, the still wine was aged in old barrels on fine lees for 11 months, and the champagne remained 20 months 'sur lattes'. The nose is expressive, with crisp, crunchy red fruits. The palate has a soft texture, fine mousse, and gorgeous cherry and stone-fruit aromatics. It offers a lot of pleasure with a long finish close to the fruit. Disgorged 01/26 – Dosage 2g/l.