A century ago, producers in departement Aube were not allowed to put 'champagne' on their labels. To be honest, this southern part, over 100 kilometers from Épernay, is a geographical far corner in the Champagne region. Yet the big Maisons close to Reims bought their grapes from Aube: pinot noir does very well here.
After struggle and lobbying, Côte des Bar, part of the Aube, was enclosed in the AOP Champagne. You won't find premier or grand cru villages here, but all the more headstrong producers with their own style who make great, sometimes very personal champagnes.
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One of them is Thibaud Brocard. Since 2009 he works the vineyards around Celles-sur-Ource that have been in the family since 1932. He took over the business from his father Pierre, in 2013, who's still a very active contributor. Thibaud's first step was: getting rid of pesticides and herbicides. In practice, Brocard works organically, and he uses the lowest possible amounts of sulphite.
2016 was the year the estate started working organically. According to Thibaud, it was a disaster for him and he learn from it. In 2019 he started all over again, better prepared and Brocard Pierre is now 100% organic certified, since 2022. Thibaud works in his 6,5 hectares of vines in Celles-sur-Ource. There, different types of soil; mainly clay and kimmeridgian soils.
In the cellar, sober approach. Indigenous fermentation and controlled malolactic fermentation, every year. The wines are not clarified nor filtered. The wines are vinified and handled with stainless steel rather than oak to preserve freshness and the real expressions of the terroirs. Only 2 cuvées have contact with oak, L'Égarée and the coteaux champenois. Thibaut likes the purity given by stainless steel vinification. Today, all of his cuvées are produced with zéro dosage to preserve the saline expression of Côte des Bars and its beautiful chalky soils.
