Champagne J. Vignier

Items

Champagne J. Vignier NV 'Aux Origines' Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut (2017 Base)	Login	—	In Stock
Champagne J. Vignier NV 'Ora Alba' Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut	Login	—	In Stock

The Vignier family's roots in Champagne stretch back to 1530, when Nicolas Vignier of Bar-sur-Seine served as a physician, lawyer, theologian, and court historian to King Henry III. Five centuries later, Nathalie Vignier represents the 10th generation of her family involved in viticulture and winemaking in Champagne and the sixth generation farming in the grand cru village of Cramant in the Côte des Blancs.

Nathalie and her brother Jean assumed responsibility for the family estate in the early 2000s, with Jean overseeing the business and Nathalie directing vineyard and cellar operations. Inspired by the deep knowledge of Nathalie's father, who often spoke of the "hidden treasures" within the family's vineyards, Nathalie began exploring the estate's most distinctive sites alongside close family friend Sebastian Nickel. Their work focused on understanding the unique character of the domaine's 16.5 hectares of Chardonnay spread across the Côte des Blancs and Côte de Sézanne.

Beginning in 2006, they embarked on a detailed study of individual parcels, tasting fruit before harvest, fermenting select vineyard lots separately, and evaluating both young and aged wines. What started as an experiment soon evolved into a new vision for the estate. The first vineyards destined for the J. Vignier label were harvested in 2007 and 2008, revealing the remarkable individuality of sites in Cramant, Chouilly, Oiry, Saudoy, and Vindey.

Today, J. Vignier is dedicated to producing small-production, terroir-driven Champagnes that highlight the personality of individual vineyard parcels. Farming is carried out without herbicides or pesticides, following a thoughtful and sustainable approach that emphasizes soil health and vineyard balance: “viticulture of reason.” The estate's vineyards span a diverse range of soils, from the chalk to the silex-rich marls, providing a wide palette of expressions within Chardonnay.

All wines are produced exclusively from first-press juice, fermented in stainless steel, and undergo full malolactic fermentation. Each cuvée is bottled as extra brut and aged on its lees for a minimum of 48 months, with many remaining in the cellar for significantly longer. Vintage Champagnes are produced only in exceptional years. While stainless steel currently dominates the cellar, the domaine is exploring a return to oak as part of its ongoing pursuit of greater complexity and site expression.

One of the few growers working extensively across both the Côte des Blancs and the Côte de Sézanne, J. Vignier crafts Champagnes of precision, depth, and character. Every bottle is grown, produced, and bottled entirely at the estate, reflecting a singular commitment to expressing the individuality of each vineyard site.