Maurice Grumier

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The Grumiers have been winegrowers since the 18th century. In 1928 Amand Grumier started his own production. Son Maurice took over the helm in 1945. At that time only one cuvée was produced, which consisted almost exclusively of Meunier. Son Guy then brought momentum to the winery by planting the first white grape varieties, investing in modern equipment and expanding the winery from 2 to 6 hectares. Son Fabien follows his father's drive and has been running the business since 2006, supported by his wife Hélène.

Of the vineyards, 4.5 hectares are located on the right bank of the Marne in the villages of Venteuil, Damery and Reuil, with calcareous soils and some clay and sand on the tops. Another 4.5 hectares are located on the left bank in Festigny (mainly limestone) and in Dormans (clay soil). The Festigny terroir offers the perfect conditions for the Meunier, the characteristic grape variety of the Marne Valley. It accounts for 55% of production. The vineyards on the right bank are planted with 20% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir.

Grumier was one of the first domains in Champagne to be certified with "High Environmental Value" in 2014. Fabien works responsibly and sustainably, favoring grass in his rows of vines and practicing manual ploughing. This leads to deeper roots and when the roots are deep, the imprint of the terroir is stronger than that of the grape variety. The deeper the root, the more it draws nutrients from the terroir, which guarantees the quality of the grapes.

Each village, grape variety and plot is vinified separately. The press was installed on 3 levels and designed to allow the juices to flow by gravity directly into the vats for settling.

Fabien likes to work with aging in wooden barrels because for him it is something alive: the wine lives in the barrels, it breathes, it expresses itself. Wood has a special feel and a very specific smell. It exudes mesmerizing sensations. "A lot happens in the veins of the wood, just like in mine," he says enthusiastically. Each material expresses a feeling for Fabien. All senses are in demand: you smell, hear, observe, touch and taste what wood or stainless steel evoke in the wines. Wood brings richness and complexity, stainless steel freshness and excitement.

The reserve wines are aged in barrels and vats at a controlled and controlled temperature to guarantee freshness and finesse over the years. 50% of the base wines are matured in wood for 6-18 months. In this way, Fabian wants to give the champagnes fullness while at the same time preserving the freshness of his wines. The rest is stored and matured in stainless steel. Up to a hundred different base wines are bottled every year, which offers endless creative potential for the development of distinctive, individual cuvées. In 2005, a perpetuum reserve was also set.

The malolactic fermentation is carried out partially, the champagnes are not fined or filtered, the dosage is rather low.

The champagnes are aged for a minimum of 4 years for base and 7 years for vintages. Some bottles are still riddled by hand, often by Guy who chooses to continue to lend a hand for certain tasks. The long maturation gives complexity to Grumier champagnes. They give the Fabien cuvées great richness.

Grumier's champagnes are rich and complex wines that focus on aromatic expressiveness.

Facts: R.M., Venteuil, Marnetal, 9 hectares (55% Meunier, 25% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay), 31 plots, annual production: 80,000 bottles