Legrand-Latour
Champagne as geology — pure grape juice tirage in the Vallée de la Marne
The Producer
Thibault Legrand-Latour farms four Demeter-certified biodynamic hectares in Fleury-la-Rivière, in the Vallée de la Marne. He no longer owns a tractor — everything in his vineyards is done by hand. His partner in pressing is childhood friend Flavien Nowack, another notable natural champagne producer.
The Philosophy
Legrand-Latour practices what he calls geo-oenology: each cuvée is vinified according to the geological stratum from which its grapes originate. The wines are named after geological epochs — Eocene, Ypresien, Lutetien, Campanien — a direct reflection of the Lutetian-period chalk and clay beneath his vines.
What makes his approach radical is the tirage. Rather than using the traditional liqueur de tirage (refined sugar and commercial yeast) for the secondary fermentation, he uses fresh grape juice from the following vintage — sometimes called the Agrapart method. No sugar is added. No alcohol is created beyond what the juice itself produces. The result is champagne made from nothing but pure grape juice, start to finish.
La Cave aux Coquillages
Beneath the vines, Thibault's father Patrice excavated a miles-long underground cave system containing thousands of marine fossils from the Lutetian period, forty-five million years old. What began as amateur paleontology became the foundation for Thibault's entire winemaking philosophy. The cellars, thirty meters below the surface at a constant twelve degrees, double as a paleontology museum open to the public.
The Wines
- Eocene — 75% Pinot Meunier, 25% Chardonnay. Brut Nature. ~2,800 bottles.
- Ypresien — 70% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir. Brut Nature (Blanc de Noirs).
- Lutetien — Pinot Meunier dominant. Brut Nature.
- Campanien — 100% Pinot Meunier. Extended élevage.
- Jude — Perpetual reserve solera, started 2019.
Details
- Grapes: Pinot Meunier (dominant), Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Vineyard: 4 hectares, southeast-facing, mid-slope. Average vine age 30-35 years.
- Farming: Demeter biodynamic since 2019. No-till, year-round cover crops.
- Winemaking: Indigenous yeasts, no additives, minimal sulfur. Hand-riddling, disgorgement à la volée.
- US Importer: Polaner Selections