La Foudrerie: We understand the incredible alchemy that is created between wood and wine, the subtle nuances that our 43 Foudres de chêne barrels can bring to our Champagnes, and we are proud to carry on this tradition since 1892.
The Foudre de chêne gives Champagne its letters of nobility and elegance, when the great houses reserve them for the production of exceptional cuvées, which is what we do for our entire production range.
For Champagne wines, the permeability of the Foudre de bois de chêne means that the aromas specific to the wine are gently revealed. The wines benefit from slow, natural micro-oxygenation to help them develop to their full potential for an average of 8 months (and 2 to 3 years for our reserve wines), since oak is the only material that allows the wine to breathe. The use of old foudres avoids the aromatisation caused by new wood. The aromatic contribution of the wood enhances the subtle nuances of the champagne, giving it a wide range of complex and unique flavours.
As for the fine effervescence of our champagne bubbles, this is achieved through the ageing potential of our cuvées. In fact, we take advantage of slow cellar maturation on laths for extended periods, between 3 and 4 years. For the millésime cuvées, we continue the maturation phase for up to 16 years, allowing admirable aromas to emerge while retaining incredible freshness.
View a part of our cellar and our Foudres de Chêne :
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