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Olivier Horiot
Les Riceys is the only village in Champagne permitted to produce three appellations: Champagne, still wine and the legendary Rosé des Riceys. Right in the heart of it: Olivier Horiot, whose family has been cultivating vines here since the 17th century. When he took over his father Serge's estate in 1999, he immediately converted to organic farming – today the estate works biodynamically.
What sets Horiot apart from others: he vinifies all seven permitted Champagne grape varieties, including the nearly extinct Arbane. Together with his wife Marie, who runs the cellar, around 25,000 bottles are produced annually from approximately 8 hectares – all without dosage, all Brut Nature.
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Contrées 4x750ml BdN Brut Nature: Fragnoy, Val Bazot, Escharère, Val du Clos 2010
285,01 €Incl. VAT where applicable -
More about Olivier Horiot
Seven Grape Varieties, One Terroir
Alongside the classic three – Pinot Noir (75%), Chardonnay (10%) and Pinot Meunier – Olivier Horiot cultivates four rare varieties: Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Together, these account for less than one per cent of all Champagne vineyard plantings. The Cuvée 5 Sens unites all seven in a single bottle – a manifesto for the region's diversity. Some of these ancient varieties were on the verge of extinction before growers like Horiot revived them.
Horses Instead of Tractors
Since 2010, the estate has been farmed biodynamically. The soils are ploughed with horses, synthetic additives are forbidden. The Kimmeridgian chalk beneath Les Riceys – geologically related to Chablis – gives the wines their pronounced minerality. Each parcel is harvested and vinified separately, fermentation occurs spontaneously with wild yeasts in used barriques. No filtering, no fining, minimal sulphur. Louise Brison, a neighbour in the Côte des Bar, shares this philosophy of living soils.
The Solera from Champagne
A particular feature is the Cuvée Soléra: following the Andalusian model, Horiot blends old and young vintages of all seven grape varieties. The oldest barrel in the system dates from 2007. The result is a Champagne of remarkable complexity and patina – a homage to the sherry tradition, transposed onto the chalky soils of the Aube.
Bone-Dry and Uncompromising
All Champagnes are bottled without dosage – 0 grams residual sugar, uncompromisingly dry. The wines are precise, chalky, mineral. As a member of the growers' association Terres et Vins, Olivier Horiot represents the new wave in Champagne: away from the mass product of the grandes maisons, towards terroir-driven wines with character. Annual production stands at around 40,000 bottles – artisanal, manageable, personal. The Sève Blanc de Noir from old vines in the En Barmont vineyard exemplifies this style.