THE HOUSE


Terroir : Great Marne Valley

Cru : Hautvillers – 1er Cru 

Superficie du domaine : 7 hectares – 24 plots

Grape varieties : 42% Chardonnay – 38% Meunier – 20% Pinot Noir

Champagne Fernand Lemaire is member of the Fédération of Independent Winegrowers of Champagne. All stages of production, from vineyard management to marketing, are managed by the family.

THE VINEYARD

The entire range is classified 1er Cru from Hautvillers, the plots are from a single terroir.

The quality of the soils, rich in chalk, and the sunshine of the hillsides give exceptional grape quality from the 3 Champagne grape varieties. The plots are ploughed to preserve biodiversity, allow better water absorption by the soil and thus vitalize the vines.

The vineyard of Champagne Fernand Lemaire is cultivated using sustainable methods. Preserving the environment, the quality of the vineyard and therefore of the Champagne is the family’s priority.

The estate is certified “Haute Valeur Environnementale” (HVE).

IN THE WINERY
The grapes are pressed in a 2000kg vertical press dating from 1960. This allows us to select the musts with great precision. The winery is composed of small and medium-sized vats and barrels. Each cuvée is made from grapes from a single year. This choice was made by the family to highlight the aromatic particularities of the Hautvillers terroir. Each plot, each cuvée, is worked with particular care.

IN THE CELLAR

Ageing on the lees is done in bottles. The cuvées are stored in traditional cellars in Hautvillers.

Depending on the characteristics of each one, the ageing time varies from a minimum of 2 years to up to 10 years. Time is given for the aromas to develop and fully express the house style.

The riddling process is traditional, carried out by hand on racks or in cycams.

After disgorging, the bottles are left to rest for at a minimum 3 months before the labels are affixed. The grape blends are richly aromatic, and the Blanc de Blancs have the unique characteristics of the terroir.

DISTRIBUTION
Champagne Fernand Lemaire travels far beyond Europe’s borders. The family’s cuvées can be found in France and abroad, in Italy, Japan, Finland, Austria, Denmark, the United States and many other countries… For more information, go to the “Contact” page.

HAUTVILLERS

Hautvillers is a picturesque little village in the southern part of the Montagne de Reims Regional Nature Park, in the Marne Valley.

The village is directly linked to the existence of the Abbey of Saint Pierre, founded in the 7th century. It was the home of a certain monk named Dom Pierre Pérignon.

His wisdom and learning led to his appointment as cellarer of the Abbey. He was an astonishingly modern figure, a visionary and a perfectionist.

He guided the winegrowers to develop the vineyards of Champagne. Around 1681, after years of research and experimentation, it was in Hautvillers that he mastered the first Champagne bubbles, giving the village its nickname of “the cradle of Champagne”.

Since July 4, 2015, the Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The wine-growing hillsides of Hautvillers are one of three such sites.