CHAMPAGNE Gratiot Delugny Récoltant - Manipulant en Vallée de Marne

The vineyard currently extends over 3 communes: Crouttes-sur-Marne, Nanteuil-sur-Marne and Charly-sur-Marne. The 9 hectares 65 ares of vines are spread over clay-limestone soils and different sunlight from one plot to another. The different grape varieties are harmoniously distributed according to their best location.

•  The Chardonnay variety represents 2 ha 90 ares. It gives finesse and elegance to the champagne.

•  The Pinot Meunier variety, with a little more than 50% of the vineyard, covers an area of 4 ha. It brings fruity and aromatic characteristics to the champagnes.

•  The Pinot Noir grape variety represents 2 ha 31 ares. It gives the wine a robust and powerful structure.

From a young age, David has reintroduced forgotten grape varieties to the estate. Always in the spirit of being inspired by the work of past generations to create resolutely modern and unique cuvées.

•  Petit Meslier, on 34 ares, the first forgotten grape variety reintroduced into the estate by David, still a teenager, gives you the brand new "Bulles d’Avenir" cuvée.

•  The Pinot Gris, on 31 ares, is preparing a nice surprise for you next year.

•  The Pinot Blanc, of which we have just planted 28 ares, will give its first harvest in a few years.

David Gratiot, who took over the company in 2019, has been in charge of the vineyards and the vinification of our champagnes for more than 20 years. Passionate about his profession, he grew up with his parents and grandparents experience. He drives for change and modernity while, it might seem paradoxical, very inspired in tradition and respectful of the know-how of his elders.

Barely out of viticulture school, he decided to work on vinification in oak barrels, creating the Histoire d’Hommes cuvée, a tribute to his family. If this practice of oak barrels has spread in recent years, David has been a bit of a visionary, our current vintage is from 2008, so it already has a good maturity.

The adventure of Petit Meslier, an old grape variety, also started very young for David. At 14 years old, he spotted and selected several Petit Meslier vines in an old vineyard on the property. He selected several plants for their genetic criteria, then replanted them near the Marne river to make them grow in a protected environment. Our first vine is planted in 2008 and the first bottles will be a 2012 vintage.

In the same idea of rediscovering old tastes and traditional know-how, David planted Pinot Gris in 2016, to create a new special cuvée in a few years. To complete this approach, and further diversify our possibilities, we will be planting Pinot Blanc in 2021.

Since he took over the company, he has shown the same spirit of innovation and unwavering attention to the quality of Gratiot Delugny Champagne.

The Récoltant-Manipulant is a winegrower who cultivates the vines, harvests it, produces his champagne and markets it himself. For us, this is an essential choice. Developing our own champagnes allows us to fully express their character, to make cuvées that are unlike anybody else.

“Memory is the future of the past. » Paul Valéry

This quote well represents the identity we want to give to our champagnes, how we want them to evolve: dynamism and modernity but with a deep inspiration and respect for the techniques of our elders and the land they left us.

Thus, we seek to revive forgotten grape varieties, use oak barrels to give an assertive touch of terroir and we let our cuvées mature in the cellar so they express all their aromas.