Our Background
CHAMPAGNE FERNAND LEMAIRE
Winegrowers from father to son for 4 generationsCreated in 1903, by Fernand Lemaire, the 4 successive generations of this family house have kept the respect for Champagne-making traditions and for the exceptional quality of its production.
CHAMPAGNE FERNAND LEMAIRE
Eugène, together with his father and his wife Jeanne, were the ones who first started working on just a few tiny plots of vines here and there, before Fernand actually started working on his own plots of vines in Hautvillers. He aquired his own press, his first vats and above all, dug a vaulted cellar in the chalk, allowing him to launch his own brand: Champagne Fernand Lemaire. His son Robert, and then his grand-son Frédéric, together with his wife Christine, then continued Fernand Lemaire's work by expanding his vineyard, while paying careful attention to perpetuating the Champagne-making traditional know-how.Today, their great-grandchildren Hélène and Benoît continue with their parents the 6-hectare family business on the terroir of Hautvillers, with all 3 grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier.
Hautvillers
The SCENIC ROUTE OF CHAMPAGNE
Located in the heart of the Champagne region, 5 kilometers from Epernay and at the crossroad between the Marne valley and the Montagne de Reims, HAUTVILLERS is an incomparably scenic little town overlooking the vineyards, with the Abbey where Cellar Master Dom Pérignon first mastered the champagne bubbles towards 1681. Thanks to the Benedictine monk, HAUTVILLERS has become the most famous town in the whole region.HAUTVILLERS
Champagne Fernand-Lemaire is exclusively and end to end produced in Hautvillers, allowing its whole range to be officially ranked as 1er Cru de Champagne. Its sunny hillsides provide the Hautvillers terroir with an exceptional level of quality for all 3 grape varieties, thus developing a blend of great aromatic richness.
HAUTVILLERS
The Champagne Fernand-Lemaire cultivates its vines in a sustainable way, always with the double aim of optimizing the quality of the grapes and protecting the environment.Hautvillers, the cradle of champagne
The “High Village” has a rich background thanks to its Monk Dom Pérignon.The origin of the town of Hautvillers is directly linked to the existence of the Saint Pierre Abbey founded in the 7th century. This Abbey suffered various attacks and looting before being rebuilt in the 16th century. In 1668, the monk Dom Pérignon arrived in Hautvillers. Thanks to his wisdom and his education, he was chosen as a Gran Cellarer of the Abbey. He was a surprisingly modern and perfectionist character.
At that time, the economical situation of the Abbey was quite difficult. The Abbey was recovering with difficulty from the fire caused by the Huguenots, the leases perceived were no longer sufficient and wine-growing produced poor revenues. Thanks to Dom Pérignon, the surfaces planted with vines developed exponentially, not only in Hautvillers but also throughout the Champagne region. Around 1681, after years of research and lots of experiments, Dom Pérignon gave birth to the first bubbles of Champagne.
Hautvillers, a picturesque and unmissable site, is nested precisely in the Montagne de Reims Natural Park and takes you to the foundations of its history. For this reason, we call it, the "cradle of Champagne".
