Champagne André Robert

Anecdotes from the Estate: The estate's philosophy rests on an alchemy between our winemaking and our terroir. We also cultivate a terroir-driven approach to selecting the wood for our barrels! Through these encounters between "wines and oak essences," we explore the marriage of the two. Recently, we acquired about ten barrels from the Mesnil-sur-Oger forest. The distinctive grain of these oaks will allow for slow but slightly more significant oxygenation than usual. Ten more barrels from the Argonne forest, with their very fine grain, will soon join us, bringing with them silky tannins and aromas typical of this terroir: brioche, vanilla, and roasted coffee! A Little History of the Estate: The estate has belonged to the same family for five generations. My ancestor, Henri, began working the vines "en foule" (in large groups) just after the First World War. Following the Second World War, André Robert worked the vines with the horse as both companion and tool. In 1960, he purchased the estate, which boasts these marvelous 19th-century chalk cellars where our bottles currently rest. As a family, we have chosen to perpetuate this tradition, and therefore to change nothing! We vinify 50% of our wines in these small 228-liter barrels, which are on average twelve years old. Bottling is late (July), as the wines are aged on their lees for eight months beforehand, with regular stirring. The creation of our wines is based on the constant pursuit of a subtle balance between a very chalky terroir that brings freshness, finesse, and minerality. The pride of the estate: Our estate is spread over 14 hectares, the vast majority of which are classified Grand Cru and Premier Cru, primarily in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Vertus, and Cuis. Our stronghold, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, located southeast of Épernay, owes the richness of its terroir to a mosaic of tiny plots where Chardonnay perfectly expresses its full personality. We cultivate our vines using simple methods: minimal soil amendments, judicious intervention, careful soil management, and reasonable yields. The poor soil that characterizes it—an omnipresent chalk and hillside cultivation—makes the terroir of Mesnil-sur-Oger exceptional and unique in Champagne. It brings finesse and minerality to our wines. The Chardonnay grape variety is therefore the soul of our House and the guiding thread of all our blends.