Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
[read the Producer profiles at Champagne Club by Richard Juhlin]
Philipponnat
YOHAN CASTAING; ‘Charles Philipponnat continues to build on the foundation he laid in 1997, when he took the helm of his family’s eponymous house, now owned by the Lanson-BCC Group. He crafts Champagnes that have become increasingly precise and mineral-driven due to careful grape selection and thoughtful vineyard management, often finishing with a saline touch. By reducing the dosage, he is highlighting the wines’ natural tension and allowing the distinctive anise and menthol notes of Aÿ to come through, establishing a signature style for the house.’
Jean-Marc Hébrart
YOHAN CASTAING; ‘In Aÿ, Jean-Marc Hébrart produces bright, fresh, saline Champagnes with a depth that promises excellent aging. His meticulous work in the vineyard and cellar places him among the most exciting producers in the village. It is puzzling that his exceptional wines are not more widely known, but with his son, Guillaume, now joining him and adding his energy, that may soon change.’
Henri Giraud
YOHAN CASTAING; ‘Sébastien Le Golvet, Claude Giraud’s son-in-law, is quietly transforming Champagne Henri Giraud. Once known for its oak-forward Champagnes, the house is now evolving under Le Golvet’s precise winemaking. His extensive research and development, combined with his skillful use of barrel aging, have raised the house to new levels of refinement, creating some of the region’s raciest and most elegant Champagnes.’
Billecart-Salmon
YOHAN CASTAING; ‘At Billecart-Salmon, Mathieu Roland-Billecart brings fresh energy and a forward-thinking approach. He and cellar master Florent Nys are crafting Champagnes that are sharp, clean and precise, while maintaining the Billecart style. We will see the full effects of Mathieu’s work in future vintages, but improvements are already evident in the non-vintage and current cuvées, signaling the house’s evolution.’
Vilmart et Cie
YOHAN CASTAING; ‘Laurent Champs at Champagne Vilmart et Cie continues to produce some of the Montagne de Reims’s most precise and brilliant Champagnes. Now working alongside his son, he creates assertive wines that reflect their terroir with clarity. His concentration on aging and vinification brings remarkable purity to the wines, with consistency across the entire range.’
Jacquesson & Fils
YOHAN CASTAING; ‘Finally, Jacquesson, long a favorite among readers and enthusiasts, keeps forging ahead. François Pinault’s Artémis Domaines recently acquired the house, bringing it into the same fold as estates such as Château Latour. Jacquesson continues to produce bold, full-bodied wines that emphasize Champagne’s unique freshness and minerality. The Chiquet brothers’ work has been exceptional, and with Artémis Domaines now in charge, the house is poised to attain even greater heights.’
Yohan Castaing
Yohan Castaing was born in Bordeaux and grew up surrounded by vineyards. His family, vineyard owners, naturally introduced him to the world of wine and viticulture. After studying business and commercial strategy, he became a wine merchant and then a consultant.
His passion for viticulture, the terroirs and the various French regions led him to become an independent wine critic after working on harvests in Bordeaux.
Based in the Bordeaux region, Castaing has established his reputation as an independent wine critic and founder of his own advertisement-free website Anthocyanes.fr, as well as writing for other print and digital media, notably in France for the daily financial newspaper Les Echos, but also in English for Decanter magazine.
In 2023, he joined the reviewer team for The Wine Advocate, reviewing the wines of the Loire Valley, Languedoc, Roussillon, Provence and the Southwest of France. He also assists William Kelley in covering specific Bordeaux subregions (Pessac-Léognan, Sauternes-Barsac and the satellite appellations of the Right Bank), as well as bottlings from the big houses of the Champagne region.
