Emmanuel Brochet makes some of the most sought-after Champagnes produced by any Grower today. Some producers specialize in specific AOCs, or specific villages. Emmanuel Brochet specializes in single hill. His entire holdings — a tiny... Read More

Emmanuel Brochet makes some of the most sought-after Champagnes produced by any Grower today. Some producers specialize in specific AOCs, or specific villages. Emmanuel Brochet specializes in single hill. His entire holdings — a tiny 2.5 hectares — lie on it.

That hill is called Mont Benoit. It is covered in chalk, but also a layer of silt and a layer of clay. These soils seem to work together to offer up a range of options to the Grower, and Brochet elects to produce an equal mix of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.

With such small holdings, Emmanuel is able to do everything by hand and to employ extreme artisanal methods. He farms organically, and is certified. He uses a traditional vertical press, very little SO2, and strictly natural fermentations — even for the secondary fermentation in bottle, the one that produces those bubbles!

We first discovered Brochet the old-fashioned way: the importer brought us a sample, and we could see right away that the wine was special, with its mix of taut minerality up front and broad earthiness on the back.