Champagne from the farmer: working methods and developments
▲ Producer of Champagne William Saintot: an RM.
Grower Champagne—you'll see it pop up regularly on our social media. The name says it all: Champagne from the Growers.
Who are the Growers and where do they fit within Champagne?
The Growers are the people who maintain the vineyards and cultivate the Champagne grapes—the farmers. These farmers are involved in both the vineyard and the production of Champagne. Now, you might be wondering: "Isn't that always the case?"
Certainly not. There are over 16,100 winegrowers, approximately 130 cooperatives, and 360 houses. The Grandes Marques, aka large Champagne houses, control about 70% of production and sales, but don't own enough vineyards to meet this demand. To be precise, they own only about 10% of the vineyards. The rest is in the hands of the growers.
The houses buy grapes or must (grape juice) from the farmers and make Champagne from them. This has always been the case and is in line with the fact that Champagne is originally a blend of different wines: wine from different farmers, from different crus (communes), vineyards, vintages, and grape varieties.
Today, some farmers still largely depend on selling grapes or must to larger producers. Sometimes a portion is sold, sometimes the entire lot. The grapes the farmers keep themselves are used to make their own wine or, for example, to supply a cooperative. Let's briefly revisit the different types of producers to clarify this.
RM - Growers-Manipulants:
the winegrower who both works in the vineyards and makes the wine on his own estate; the Grower Champagne or Champagne Farmer.
RC - Grower-Cooperator:
a single winegrower, who has his grapes processed entirely into wine by a cooperative winery and then sells it under his own label.
SR - Société de Récoltants:
A registered company established by two or more winegrowers who share the same winery and use it to produce and sell wine under their own label. Compared to the CM, winegrowers in the SR are more involved in the winemaking process.
CM - Coopérative-Manipulant:
a cooperative of winegrowers who blend the product from their collective vineyards to sell under one or more labels.
NM - Négociant-Manipulant:
The producers who bottle and market wine using grapes or must purchased from winegrowers. Sometimes they own their own vineyards, which are also used to produce wine. This is where the major Champagne houses fit in.
ND- Négociant Distributor:
merchant who buys wine and sells it under his own name.
MA - Marque d'acheteur:
a private label from an external buyer.
The letters can be found on the Champagne label and tell you which type of producer made the Champagne.
So how many farmers actually produce their own Champagne? About 4,000 of the 16,100 farmers produce Champagne. Of these, about 50% bring their grapes, must, or wine to a cooperative to be made into Champagne (RC). Ultimately, only about 1,800 (11%) farmers actually make their own Champagne from start to finish on their own estate, using their own grapes. These are the RMs.
▲ Champagne farmer and producer William Saintot in his cellar.
Developments
Although there is a growing awareness, especially in the Netherlands, that there are many more Champagnes than Grandes Marques, many smaller growers are finding it difficult to survive, and the number of RMs is declining . They are, for example, switching to selling all their grapes. Ultimately, this yields them much more without much extra effort. Growing grapes and maintaining the vineyard is a significant undertaking. Moreover, producing Champagne yourself requires a significant investment of time, space, resources, and money. Moreover, it's a risky venture, as the growers often own little land and are located in a single area or village. Should disease or adverse weather conditions occur (which are becoming increasingly common with climate change), a grower's entire yield could be wiped out.
On the other hand, we sometimes see successful RMs lose their RM status because they have to buy grapes or wines to meet growing demand. Land is scarce. As a result, the number of RMs is declining and becoming increasingly rare.
Approach and thought process
The remaining RMs are working hard to produce unique Champagnes in their own unique, artisanal way. Consistency isn't always the guiding principle , while it is crucial for larger producers. Consider the Non-Vintage Champagnes, which are supposed to taste the same year after year. The Growers have the opportunity to quickly respond to trends, experiment, and release entirely different blends each year, or, for example, produce only vintages, as with Champagne La Villesenière: all Champagnes from a single year.
This allows them to focus on expression— expression of terroir, grape, and vintage—to reflect the specific style of a grape and region in that year. Precisely because the producers are also winemakers, they know better than anyone how their plots work and how best to utilize them in the final Champagne.
Often (but certainly not always!), this is combined with certain winegrowing and production methods to stay as close to nature as possible. Some examples include the use of wild/natural yeasts, (almost) eliminating sulfites, not filtering the wine, using a low dosage, sustainable winemaking, biodynamic winemaking, or even organic winemaking.
This results in some truly exceptional wines. Think of our "Les Cuteries" from Champagne La Villesenière (100% Chardonnay from 2015, oak-aged, from a single plot, plowed by horse, and pesticide-free) and "La Côte de Chignon" from Champagne William Saintot (100% Pinot Noir from 2011, oak-aged, from a single plot with flint in the soil, sustainably farmed, and a south-facing vineyard with the perfect slope).
Growers have the opportunity to experiment and produce small batches without taking too much risk. Champagne William Saintot will soon release a micro-cuvée crafted in a Georgian amphora, an alternative vinification tank. Champagne William Saintot's current micro-cuvée, Meuniers de mes Grands-Pères, is a good example of this.
The great thing about this is that it produces such a wide variety of Champagne. Champagne from a winegrower can be more distinctive, truly surprising, and unique. Of course, every winegrower does it differently and has their own methods. You can taste that. While it's still easily recognizable as Champagne, it tastes different from what you'd find at the big houses. This is partly due to the techniques that are less readily available at the big houses (of course, there are always exceptions). We think the variety of Grower Champagne is fantastic, a true journey of discovery. Each bottle has something special or a unique story behind it.
It's important to realize that not all winemakers produce the very best and most unique Champagne, and the major houses don't just produce commercial or "standard" bubbles. Even the larger estates and houses create exceptional Champagne and are making their wines increasingly expressive and distinctive. Our tip: keep trying . Champagne is incredibly diverse and can be surprising. Taste for yourself and don't be swayed by what others say. It's your personal taste!
*Figures from the SGV