Since my family has owned vineyards in Ville-sur-Arce for 5 generations it was only natural that I decided to establish my own champagne house in 2006. We plough the soil under the vines to encourage the roots to delve deep into the ground and we grow grass between the rows in order to control the growth of the vines. All my champagnes come from a single region, La Côte des Bars, from a single plot called LARGILLIER (owned exclusively by my family) and from a single grape variety: Pinot Noir. In 2011 we undertook a number of excavations in Largillier and we discovered that the soil in this vineyard that is so dear to us, is a type called Kimmeridgian Marl. The soil, the sub soil and even the exposure, down to the very last detail, are exactly the same as in the very best areas of Chablis. The soil is made up of alternate layers of clay (which gives structure and body to the ‘attack’ on the palate) and layers of chalk from which the roots of the vines can draw their minerality (which accounts for the long finish of the wines). In more general terms, the soil in Largillier is a chalk and clay mix which is not very fertile and which restricts the energy and the development of the vines; as a result the grapes that are produced attain a high level of maturity with all the qualities to make a great wine. A taste that’s the pure expression of the soil it springs from.