Roland Champion, Special Club, Blanc de Blancs, Chouilly Grand Cru, Brut 2018

This small grower and member of Champagne’s elite Special Club is located in the Grand Cru Village of Chouilly. The house was founded in 1929 by André Champion, who created his vineyard in the famous Cote des Blancs area of Chouilly, some of the best soils for the Chardonnay grape. Andre’s untimely death at a young age left his son Roland – 16 years old at the time – to take over. Roland went on to expand the company by purchasing new land and giving his name to the family house of Champagne.

Today Champagne Roland Champion is run by Roland’s son François, third generation of the family. He is the winemaker, and he runs the winery with the help of his family, including his fourth-generation daughters Carole and Clémence. François farms 18 hectares, spread over 40 different parcels. His vineyards are planted with 70% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier and 10% Pinot Noir. Grapes are manually harvested (as it is the rule in Champagne) and pressed immediately on-site to avoid oxidation and preserve quality. The wine is aged in their troglodytic chalk cellar, which maintains a constant temperature of 12 degrees Celsius. (53°F)

Production is around 7,000 cases: 70% vintage & Special Club Champagne, 25% non-vintage blanc de blanc, and 5% rose brut. Champagne Roland Champion was sold only within France, until Kysela began importing their products in 2008.

As an independent grower and Champagne maker that owns the vineyards and the equipment (press, vinification cellars and ageing cellars), they have the letters RM (French for Récoltant Manipulant) printed on each label. This represent the highest quality Champagne, as opposed to NM (Négociant Manipulant), RC (Récoltant Coopérateur), CM (Coopérative de Manipulation) MA (Marque d’Acheteur) or ND (Négociant Distributeur).

The Special Club concept started in 1971. A dozen wine growers from some old families of Champagne had an idea to familiarize people with the originality of the “Champagne de Vigneron” (Champagne of wine grower), thanks to prestigious vintages.

In the beginning, they created an association called the “Club des Viticulteurs Champenois” and chose a bottle with a special shape, created exclusively for them & used only by then. In 1988, they changed the bottle and the label. In 1999, the Club changed its name to “Club Trésor of Champagne.”

The Club Trésors comprises 28 artisan wine makers, selected from the finest areas of the Champagne region, each one recognized for the quality of their work. The Club Trésors is the only organization in Champagne to select its members according to a set of unrelenting quality standards:

• Each wine maker must make their champagnes entirely in his, or her, own premises and cellars. Furthermore, the champagne must be made exclusively from grapes harvested in his, or her, own vineyards.
• Each wine maker is devoted to his work and passionately protects the quality and the unique character of his own terroir.
• The jury of oenologists and wine professionals who select the champagnes demand irreproachable quality in both the work in the vineyard and the wines.
• Each champagne is subject to two blind tastings (once at the still wine stage before bottling and again after 3 years ageing in bottle) by a panel of passionate and distinguished oenologists and wine makers. 4 years aging minimum is required.
• A Special Club champagne may only be made in outstanding vintage years.

Roland Champion’s Special Club selection has rich and structured aromas. Very pleasant and generous roundness, nice length in mouth. Golden color with buttery and fruity aromas. All the expression of a magnificent terroir for your most pleasurable moments.