HISTORY OF CHAMPAGNE ROLAND CHAMPION
Since the 18th century, the Champion family has been growing grapes from father to son and all the harvest has been sold out to negociants. But since four generations, the family has been producing its own champagne.
The history of the family started with André Champion in 1929, the year when the brand “Champagne André Champion” was merchandised for the first time. Later on the founder will increase considerably his vineyard on the terroir of Chouilly, in the famous Côte des Blancs, on the best soils for the renowned Chardonnay grape.
His early death will propel his elder son Roland, 16-year-old at that time, at the head of the family company. Roland took over the family business with courage and dignity and continued to increase the family’s estate. The champagne house is then re-named “Champagne Roland Champion” in 1951.
The descendants of Roland and Jacqueline Champion: François, Vincent and Clara as well as their children Carole, Ambroise, Clémence, Astrid and Félix represent this family inheritance today. François is henceforth the wine maker of the house.
From generations the Champion family has been proud to make you share its passion for champagnes that offer character and prestige to accompany the most memorable moments of your life, just like its founders wished.
GRAPE HARVESTS
This is the most important period of the year. During two weeks, about forty grape-pickers harvest the grapes by hand.
The bunches are pressed in Chouilly the same day in a traditional way with the help of a pneumatic press. That allows the pressing of the grapes very quickly and limits the juice oxidation due to the contact of air. Then delicate musts free their subtle typicalness.
WINE MAKING
After the alcoholic and the malolactic fermentations, the still wines, called “vins clairs” are obtained. The sugar, by the action of the yeasts, is transformed into alcohol, and the acidity decreases.
A few months later and once all the clear wines are tasted it is time for blending (“assemblage”), the essential stage of champagne making. We blend the various wines from different terroirs according to the grape variety like, for instance, for our “Cuvée d’Aramis”. Also by selecting wines from specific plots of vineyard as for the “Special Club” Vintage or with reserve wines for the “Carte Blanche” in order to make sure of one constant quality. All is made just before the bottling which is made at our Champagne house in May and in July.
The following stage is the bottling (“tirage”). It consists in filling up the bottles with the clear wines to which we add specific yeast and a small quantity of sugar. This stage allows to start the “second fermentation” in the bottle. It generates some carbon dioxide which, held in the bottle, will dissolve in the wine, making it effervescent. This process is called champagne making or “champagnisation”.
