Vincent Charlot
Wisdom and biodynamics
Few champagne growers are as knowledgeable and versed in biodynamics as Vincent Charlot. Visiting his domain in Mardeuil, near Épernay, feels like a masterclass in plant treatments and soil vitality.
For Vincent, as with most winemakers invested in organic agriculture, everything starts with the soil. As such, he is also part of the no-tilling movement, and he believes that working the soil is more detrimental to the microorganisms than it is beneficial to its health. He says a diverse and adapted cover crop provides enough aeration, whilst promoting surface competition with the vines, so that they shoot their roots deeper and capture the real essence of terroir.
Charlot is also someone of great integrity who does not take any shortcuts. Since 2013, both of his brands have been certified Demeter. Nevertheless, he only advertises it on his Champagne Vincent Charlot bottlings. He considers that the essence of the biodynamic principles does not leave a noticeable imprint on smaller vineyards, which the brand Champagne Charlot-Tanneux is mostly composed of.
His labelling can be quite confusing, carrying 26-27 (!) cuvées, although not all of them are produced each year (still making around 15 per year). This requires an immense amount of labour, especially since he mostly works alone on his 4.2 hectares split in 34 parcels spread over 6 communes in the Vallée de la Marne and Coteaux Sud d’Épernay. Vincent prefers to handle his wines from start to finish. Most producers this size contract a third party to help with disgorgement, but not Charlot, as he owns a chantier de dégorgement (disgorgement line). After freezing the lees in the bottle neck, he disgorges by hand : “I want to be there when my wines are born”. This also explains why he only produces a tiny amount of bottles each year, roughly 35,000.
Vincent only uses old barriques and amphoras (two of them buried). The majority of his cuvées receive a minimal amount of sulfur at pressing, but no SO2 is added afterwards as there is no need to block malolactic fermentation, his wines naturally won’t go through malo. Being tight-knitted at opening, his wines usually benefit from some patience after uncorking. As for dosage, even considering the structure, Vincent prefers to add a bit of organic RCGM, as he finds this helps with stability in transport and ageing (most of his champagnes are Extra Brut).
Looking at his approach, the quality of his products, the amount of time he has been focusing on quality, we feel Vincent deserves significantly more recognition and we urge you to discover his work.
