Today, Stéphane focuses on a limited number of cuvees, from vines tended personally by himself and the family. Definitely not a big house, and not just a grower, but a tiny grower for whom champagne runs through his blood. And it shows in every cuvee he crafts. Stéphane was guided by his father from an early age to develop a love and respect for Champagne’s traditions, and was led to open his own grower house at the tender age of 25. His answer to his father’s charge was Champagne Stéphane Coquillette. 

Stéphane decided to take a different approach to winemaking, however, going against traditional methods of roundness and richness, by creating leaner, drier wines, and only from Grand and Premier Cru villages: Ay, Mareuil-sur-Ay, Chouilly and Cuis. He rigorously practices organic viticulture, as the health of the vines to result in fresh, vibrant wines, is key.

Les Cles is a Blanc de Noirs cuvee made of only pinot noir. The vines for this Champagne were planted in 1960 in Ay, a warmer area near the Marne river. With a nose of arboreal brush, game fowl, tomato and cherries, the palate follows with ripe cherries, wild strawberries, plums and mushrooms. There is a lot of fruit here, as well as great acid structure. The stainless steel fermentation and elevage preserve the wine’s freshness, though it does still manage to have a bit of roundness. It is delightful all around and I know it will resonate with you thirsty, discerning bubble monsters! Give it a try, and I trust you will come to love these wines every bit as much as I do – a classy and elegant style, with a bright future to come!