Vazart-Coquart & Fils

Chouilly: Cradle of Chardonnay

Chouilly is the northernmost Grand Cru of the Côte des Blancs – here, where the chalk soils are at their purest, Chardonnay finds its most perfect expression. Jean-Pierre Vazart owns parcels in the village's finest vineyard sites, including the esteemed Montaigu vineyard. In total, 30 parcels are spread across the gentle hills, with vines averaging 44 years old. They root deep in the limestone and produce wines of mineral precision and silky elegance. The red brick house that Louis-Victor Coquart built in 1865 still serves as the family seat today – a testament to continuity in an ever-changing wine world. It is no wonder that critic Peter Liem describes the house as "the most significant grower champagne house in Chouilly" and Eichelmann awards it four stars.

A Solera Sacrificed for Conviction

Since 1982, the family maintained a Réserve Perpétuelle – a solera that supplied the Brut Réserve with depth and complexity. Nearly 40 years of wine history in a single barrel. Yet in 2020, Jean-Pierre made a decision that caused quite a stir in Champagne: he switched entirely to organic viticulture and gave up the solera in the process. Organic regulations did not permit blending with conventionally produced reserve wines. What sounds like a loss is, for him, a gain: "We are the first admirers of our champagnes – they must be excellent." The estate had already taken a pioneering role in sustainability in 2012: as the third business in all of France, it received HVE certification (Haute Valeur Environnementale). Anyone who tastes the current Brut Réserve will discover: quality has not suffered – quite the opposite.

Terracotta, Tradition and Spécial Club

Jean-Pierre experiments – but thoughtfully. For the TC Extra Brut cuvée, he ferments the base wines in terracotta eggs. These vessels allow gentle oxygen exchange and give the champagnes a silky texture without sacrificing precision. The flagship cuvée bears the name Spécial Club – since 1996, Vazart-Coquart has been a member of this exclusive association of the finest grower champagne houses, which taste each other's wines and award the coveted seal only to the best vintages. The Grand Bouquet demonstrates what Chouilly Chardonnay means in perfection: ethereal, with ripe fruit and the roundness typical of the location. It matures on the lees for approximately four years before disgorgement.

Clarity Instead of Wood

Unlike many of his peers, Jean-Pierre consistently favours stainless steel over wooden barrels. His philosophy: the wine should let the terroir speak, not the barrel. The champagnes reflect this – precise, clear, with the minerality of wet chalk and the saline freshness that connoisseurs prize on the Côte des Blancs. He keeps the dosage low, usually as Extra Brut, so as not to mask the purity of the Chardonnay. Anyone wishing to discover the elegant Blanc de Blancs from Chouilly will find in Vazart-Coquart one of the region's most authentic representatives. In the neighbourhood, also on the Côte des Blancs, De Sousa works with similar dedication to mineral Chardonnay champagnes – two houses that demonstrate what this unique chalk landscape can produce.