2.5 hectares. One plot. One man. In Villers-aux-Nœuds, Emmanuel Brochet makes Champagnes as singular as their creator: an artist, a vintage racing driver, a self-taught winemaker. In 1997 he took over the family land and stopped selling his grapes. Since then he has been making wine himself – biodynamically, by hand, unfiltered. Among connoisseurs, his "Le Mont Benoît" is regarded as one of the most distinctive Champagnes of the Montagne de Reims.
More about Emmanuel Brochet
The self-taught winemaker
When Emmanuel Brochet took over the family land in Villers-aux-Nœuds in 1997, he was a first-generation winegrower. No degree in oenology, no apprenticeship with others – he taught himself everything. He worked without chemicals for ten years before obtaining organic certification in 2011. Today he farms his 2.5 hectares of Premier Cru biodynamically, all situated in a single plot: the lieu-dit Le Mont Benoît.
One hill, three grape varieties
The slope of Le Mont Benoît is divided into two zones: at the top stand the oldest vines, planted in 1962, and below them the younger ones from 1984. In between: chalk, clay and silt – along with equal parts Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Everything is harvested by hand, fermented with wild yeasts and aged for eleven months in used barriques. No filtration, minimal dosage, little sulphur. This yields 7,000 to 11,000 bottles a year.
Terroir Champagne from the Montagne de Reims
Without Brochet, Villers-aux-Nœuds would probably be barely known – the village lies far from the famous names. Yet it is precisely here, in the Petite Montagne, that some of the region's most distinctive Champagnes are made. Lacourte-Godbillon in nearby Écueil follows a similar philosophy: terroir over technique, handcraft over volume. Anyone who discovers this corner of Champagne will find wines full of character – far removed from the uniform style of the grandes maisons.