Drappier Millesime Exception 2012

The history of the walls today inhabited by the DRAPPIER Family goes back to the 12th century when Saint Bernard had an annex to Clairvaux Abbey built in Urville. Once occupied by Cistercian monks from Clairvaux Abbey, the seat of the House includes some magnificent 12th-century vaulted cellars. In 1803 one of the ancestors of the House, François moved to Urville and begin working a vineyard which today extends over 55 hectares, plus a dozen contractual arrangements with other growers in the Côte des Bar, the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs.

In Urville, at the beginning of the 1930’s, the grandfather of Michel, the present head of the House, was the first to decide to plant Pinot Noir in the region and was nicknamed “Father Pinot”. In the meantime this grape variety is grown in 70% of Drappier’s vineyards and almost three quarters of grape production in the local area.

Since 1979 Michel Drappier has been controlling the wine-making process while André, with a lifetime’s experience of harvests behind him, keeps a watchful eye over the vineyards which today cover 53 hectares of land owned by the domaine and 50 hectares in contractual arrangements with other growers. In 1988 deep cellars dug out of the Reims limestone in the reign of Napoleon III become part of the family ownership to house the prestigious cuvées.

Drappier are fiercely opposed to excessive use of sulphur and they use some of the lowest doses in Champagne. The Champagnes thus derived therefore have more natural colours with rich, coppery golds and more expansive aromas.
While the vintage varieties age in the cool darkness of the Reims cellars, dug out of the limestone in 1870, the large-sized bottles are prudently lined up in the 12th century cellar, constructed in Urville by Cistercian monks from Clairvaux Abbey.