Champagne Vergnon • Traditional Winegrowers
For five generations, spanning nearly two centuries, the house that is now home to JL Vergnon Champagnes has been in our family. It was originally the headquarters of Maison Regnault Frères, wine and spirits merchants. In the following century, Jean-Louis inherited the property from his parents. In 1950, he replanted the vineyards on the slopes of the Côte des Blancs, in Mesnil-sur-Oger. Initially a member of a cooperative, he decided a few years later to produce his own Champagnes, exclusively from Chardonnay, driven by his passion for taking the grape from vine to wine. One philosophy would guide him: to produce exceptional wines from his exceptional vines. His determination was dealt a severe blow in 1977 with the sudden death of his eldest son, Bruno, who had been destined to succeed him. It was not until 1985 that he produced his first wines, which were immediately noticed and acclaimed, earning a “Coup de Cœur” from the Guide Hachette des Vins just two years later for his first Extra-Brut. He died prematurely in 1989, but his example still serves as our model today. Our Champagnes, produced from our own vineyards, are crafted at our estate in Mesnil-sur-Oger, with a commitment to preserving the traditions through the expertise he passed down to us. His wife, Monique, and their youngest child, Alain, continued this work. At the helm of the estate since 1999, Didier Vergnon has pursued the path he laid out with the same passion for a job well done. Surrounded by a loyal and experienced team, a new generation has now joined the estate to carry on this legacy: Clément, the third generation, and Julian Goût, our oenologist.
VINEYARD
The estate extends across several terroirs, allowing us to offer cuvées that are both distinctive and characteristic of our house. We take great care in working each plot individually in order to select the finest combinations from our vineyard. Single-cru, single-parcel, blended cuvées… Most of our vineyard is located in the village of Mesnil-sur-Oger, classified as Grand Cru, and is planted exclusively with Chardonnay. Renowned for the excellence of its vineyards, the village grows only Chardonnay, which gives its wines finesse and elegance. We also have vines in the terroirs of Oger and Avize, both Grand Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs. To complete the estate, part of the vineyard is planted in Premier Cru villages in nearby Vertus and Villeneuve. At Domaine JL Vergnon, we grow only Chardonnay, working with around twenty plots. Predominantly planted with old vines, with varied exposures and an average age of more than thirty years, these parcels enable us to achieve the consistency that defines our Champagnes. With the aim of preserving nature and the environment, we practise sustainable viticulture throughout our vineyard. Herbicides have not been used for around fifteen years, grass is allowed to grow naturally between the vines, and treatments are kept to a minimum. In recognition of this approach, we have been awarded the HVE 3 (High Environmental Value) certification.
PHILOSOPHY
“Our qualitative and sustainable approach to working the soils, avoiding the use of pesticides as much as possible in vineyard management, thoughtful pruning and controlled, high-quality grass cover, combined with constant monitoring, naturally leads us towards lower yields. We then ensure that our grapes reach optimum and full maturity at harvest. This approach leads us to produce wines that are balanced between vinosity and finesse. With this simple and natural approach to winemaking, and with malolactic fermentation carefully avoided in order to release the wine’s fruit-driven power, we also give it excellent ageing potential and beautiful length on the palate, preceded by a direct and decisive attack.”
CELLARS
“During the harvest, which is carried out exclusively by hand, we press the grapes on the very same day using a traditional vertical press. After settling, the different musts are divided between our stainless-steel tanks and oak barrels. From this point onwards, after a long period of care, attention and patience in our winery, we carry out the second fermentation in bottle and allow the wines to age in our cellars for a minimum of three years.” The time then comes for disgorgement. A minimal dosage, ranging from 0 g/l for Brut Nature to 5 g/l for Brut, allows the true expression of the terroir’s distinctive character to shine through, with the liveliness, tension and incomparable finesse of Chardonnay. The bottles then rest for several more months, or even several years, in the cool conditions of our cellars before being dressed and made ready for dispatch.
