Yann Alexandre is the eighth generation of his family to grow vines in the Petite Montagne de Reims, the third to make Champagne there. He and his wife, Severine, share a passion for horticulture that directly informs their viticulture. "We grow the vineyard like a garden," Yann explains. This is a high bar for two farmers working 6.3 hectares spread over 30 plots in nine villages. But is also essential to their philosophy: "I always try to put forward the characteristics of each plot of land and to reach perfect grape maturity and health." Vitality is achieved through intensive hand work and regenerative practices to which the Alexandres have been dedicated since 1999. Throughout the Petite Montagne, Meunier is the star grape, supported by Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the grapes matched to soils of calcareous clay, white marls, stones, and flint. Yann declares his aim is "as natural a Champagne as possible," made from vital grapes, with minimal added sulfites, up to seven years lees aging, hand riddling and disgorgement, and "no detail left to chance." Certified HVE since 2015 (High Environment Value)

Technical Information:
Vineyards: Montagne de Reims 100% Premier Cru from 5 parcels in Courmas and Les Hautes Plantes (Saint-Lumier-en-Champagne)
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Fermentation: Partial malolactic fermentation; vinified in oak barrels
Lees Ageing: 7.5 years
Disgorged: 31 January 2020
Dosage: 6 g/l
Production: 3004 bottles
Drink: Now to 2025

Champagne in clear bottles must be stored in complete darkness, it spoils quickly if exposed to any light source. Read More

Tasting Note: The aromatics leap out the glass that 2012 generous fruit characteristic, bright lemon with ripe apples and hints of tropical notes really draw you in. The palate has all those fruits, with pineapple and a smooth and round texture from long lees ageing finishing with a hint of spice. There is something quite delicate, has good weight yet a lightness of touch. After time in the you see the chalky and mineral character coming forward; the soils personality influencing what we taste. Tasted by Nick March 2021 and rated 17.5+/20

Courmas and Environs
This 180-inhabitant village, 10 km (6 miles) southwest from Reims, takes its place within the Montagne de Reims, a sweep of low plateau, much of it forested, with vines covering its gentle slopes. Courmas belongs to the Petite Montagne, separated from the Grand Montagne by a main north-south road, the name a reference to the rather lower elevation of the vineyards here. The calcareous clay and stony-flinty soils tend to be shallow and well draining. In Courmas, Yann has 14 parcels, predominantly planted to meunier. These are matched by an equal number scattered to the north in Bouilly, in the 1er Cru villages Villedommange, Coulommes de Montagnes, and Vrigny, and in the sandier soils of Chenay and Merfy in the Massif de Saint Thierry and, to the south, in the stony, calcareous earth of Marfaux and, down in the Vitryat, St.-Lumier-en-Champagne. These sites have been selected for their advantageous "late climate" as Yann calls it, and their soils, both of which serve to retain acidity and freshness in the wines.

Yann and Severine Alexandre
Yann can trace his ancestry in the region back to 1690. Desire Alexandre, Yann's great-grandfather, vinified still wines and sold them to the big champagne houses. In 1933, Marcel, Yann's grandfather, and his brother, Gaston, decided to keep the still wines and in 1966, Yann's father, Yves, started an eponymous label. Yann follows very much in this tradition, albeit with impressive education to back it up. After studying agronomics, viticulture, and oenology in Beaune, Rouffach, and Avize. In 1999, he returned to Courmas. Meanwhile, in 1995, he had met Severine, who was then working in a different field. As Yann says, I have been sharing my passion for wine with her ever since.

Vineyards and Farming
The vineyards span 6.3 hectares split over 27 parcels within 9 Cruxand hence varying soil compositions all carefully matched to their varieties: 55% Meunier, 30% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir. The primarily southwest-facing hillside sites encompass yellow tuffe, white marl, calcareous clay, white stone (pierreux) with flint. The vines, which are on average 25 years old, are a mix of clonal and massal selections. Yann's farming is pioneering. His stated goal is to make as natural a champagne as possible achieved through careful plant health strategy, respect for biodiversity, water resource management, cover crops, and ploughing. In this way, he says, the vine deepens its roots and becomes self-sufficient, erosion is stopped and the inputs are held back and made available for the next crop. The reappearance of the tulipe de vigne, a delicate flower once present everywhere in the region but wiped out by chemical farming, is an encouraging confirmation of yanns approach, echoed by a level three high-value environmental certification from the french ministry of agriculture earned since 2015. The thorough maintenance of the soil allows for the self-development of the vine, which takes everything it needs, Yann notes. Vine training, green pruning and shearing of lateral shoots to thin the vine and ensure the ripening of the grapes are all done by hand. Likewise, sequential, selective harvesting of the various plots to ensure perfect grape ripeness.