Bruno Paillard's family lineage of brokers and growers in the two Grand Cru villages of Bouzy and Verzenay dates back to 1704. Following in their footsteps, he began as a broker in 1975, and acquired a deep and extensive knowledge of the region and its wines. In 1981, at the age of 27, Paillard started his own Champagne house - the first new one in nearly a century. After renting a cellar for three years and purchasing carefully selected grapes from independent growers, Paillard released his first Champagnes. He then built his own cellar, allowing him total control over temperature, lighting and humidity.. In 1990 he built his current winery, and in 1994 began purchasing vineyards. He now has 62 acres, which cover 1/3 of his production needs, almost half of which are Grand Cru in some of the best viticultural areas in Champagne. These vineyards are farmed organically and sustainably - a rigorous and delicate job given that the vineyards are subdivided into 40 different parcels. All harvesting is done by hand, according to the particularities of the parcel. Paillard also still works with high-quality, independent grape growers with whom he has had relationships for many years. The total production of Champagne Bruno Paillard is limited to 45,000 cases, made exclusively from the first pressing of grapes from the best vineyards in Champagne. From the Brut Premiere Cuvee to the N.P.U. (Non Plus Ultra), all Bruno Paillard Champagnes share the same finesse and dryness. Each cru is vinified separately, minimal dosage levels are added, aging is extensive and well beyond AOC requirements. All Bruno Paillard bottles carry the disgorgement date on the back label, a quality step pioneered by Paillard. After disgorgement, all bottles are returned to the cellars for a minimum of 3 months before being labeled and shipped.

Tasting notes

Hue : pale gold and shiny with green reflections. Very fine bubbles – slightly less abundant than in our other wines because of a less strong bottle fermentation. The first aromas are clearly citrus – green lemon, grapefruit – adorned with white flowers. With aeration, a touch of almond, brioche, bread crust emerges. On the palate, it is lively and offers a complex feeling going from citrus to white fruits. Wonderfully fresh and long finish.

Wine maker notes

Produced exclusively from Pinot Chardonnay, this wine is known as the "lace" of Champagne : a name it actually acquired very many years ago, because of its fine and persistent white foam. The blend is made up from Chardonnay grapes grown on the famous "Côte des Blancs" and on the lesser-known but equally good "Côte de Sezanne". For this wine, we use a fermentation method established for Champagne "Crémant" generations ago : when the still wine is decanted for its second fermentation in the bottle, less sugar and yeast are added than the practice would have it with straight forward Champagne. The result is a less powerful bottle fermentation, producing a pressure of approximately 3,5 kg - instead of 5 to 6 normally - and therefore less fizz. Ideal for Chardonnay, since it enhances its finesse and gives us a wine that is at once fresh and elegant. Our Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay is, like all our other Champagnes, fairly dry with only a minimum "dosage". It is an ideal apéritif, but will also enhance fish and any dish that is not too spicy or sweet. Every bottle shows a counter-label with the month and year of its disgorgement. As with all fine wines, particular care should be given to its storage. Leaving it in a refrigerator for any length of time can spoil its delicate flavour, so it is best served straight from the cellar and chilled in an icebucket.

Technical notes

Produced from a selection of Chardonnays grapes that come from the grand cru vineyards of Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Following the initial fermentation, the wine was assembled for secondary fermentation and aged for 10 years in Paillard's cellars. Following disgorgement, a small dosage was added and the wine matured for one additional year before release.