From the atlas
Champagne Autréau
Champagne Autréau de Champillon, based in the Premier Cru village of Champillon, farms named terroirs and makes a Blanc de Noirs from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
At A Glance
| Field | Detail |
| Region | Champagne |
| Home village | Champillon, a Premier Cru village |
| Vineyard area | 33.5 hectares |
| Terroir spread | Four terroirs, including the Champillon, Dizy and Hautvillers grouping, Aÿ, Chouilly and Verneuil |
| Classified levels | Premier Cru and Grand Cru |
| Named Blanc de Noirs | La Chouette de Champillon |
The Producer
At 7 Rue René Baudet in Champillon, Champagne Autréau de Champillon works under a family name rooted in the village. Laurent Autréau, Gérard Autréau's grandson, returned to the family farm and leads the house. Its vineyards extend across named terroirs with Premier Cru and Grand Cru classifications.
The house holds HVE Level 3 and Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne certifications. Its named bottles include La Chouette de Champillon Blanc de Noirs and Réserve Brut Grand Cru, linking family vineyard work to two distinct Champagne styles.
Place
Champillon is a Premier Cru village, and the estate's vineyards also include the Champillon, Dizy and Hautvillers grouping, Aÿ, Chouilly and Verneuil. The place names bring several growing areas into one house while keeping the origin of the grapes visible in the vineyard classification.
In Champagne, Premier Cru and Grand Cru describe classified village origins. The terms place the fruit within a recognised hierarchy before the wine is blended, aged and bottled.
Story
The Autréau family has cultivated vines in Champillon since 1670. Gérard's son Éric joined the winery to continue Champagne production and increase sales operations. Laurent, Gérard's grandson, later returned to the family farm to lead the house.
The family history also includes artists whose works hang in the Louvre and Versailles. The Autréau surname therefore joins vineyard cultivation, Champagne production and French museum collections across several generations.
Vineyards And Cellar
The estate farms its vineyards under HVE Level 3 and Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne certifications. It is also a member of the Magister Network, a viticultural monitoring network that limits treatment interventions and uses environmentally friendly products.
La Chouette de Champillon spends three years ageing on its lees before disgorgement, followed by at least three months of bottle rest. Lees are spent yeast cells. Contact with them can add a rounded texture and bready notes while the wine develops in bottle.
Wines
The house's named wines include La Chouette de Champillon Blanc de Noirs and Réserve Brut Grand Cru. La Chouette belongs to the Blanc de Noirs style, a white Champagne made from dark skinned grapes. Réserve Brut Grand Cru carries the Grand Cru designation and received two stars in Guide Hachette 2026.
The range moves between a Blanc de Noirs defined by dark skinned grape varieties and a Grand Cru cuvée with its own classified designation. The two bottles present different starting points within the house's named wines.
In The Glass
La Chouette has a complex, fruity nose with apples, white chocolate, blackberries, cherries, clementine, hazelnuts and grapefruit. The palate is very fresh and dry, with yellow apple, dark berries and clementine. The long finish carries apple skin.
Réserve shows bright gold with mahogany glints. Its bouquet brings white fruit, light peach, melon, raspberry, almond paste, vanilla, roasted hazelnut and coffee. The palate carries green apple, almond, hawthorn and candied orange peel. At 10 grams per liter, it remains notably dry.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose La Chouette de Champillon Blanc de Noirs. It uses 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Pinot Meunier, with Pinot Noir taking the larger share of the cuvée. Blanc de Noirs names the white Champagne style made from dark skinned grapes, so the label identifies both the colour of the wine and the colour of the grapes.
The cuvée also gives the cellar method a clear place. It spends extended time on its lees before disgorgement and rests in bottle afterward. The grape proportions and ageing method are both stated parts of this bottle.
Anecdote
In the 1950s, Gérard Autréau made the decision that began the family's Champagne production. The Autréau family had been cultivating vines in Champillon, but Gérard had been selling the grapes. He chose to keep the harvest and produce Champagne himself. The move shifted the family from grape selling to winemaking, creating the production line later continued by his son Éric and grandson Laurent.
Final Word
Champagne Autréau de Champillon is a family house rooted in Champillon, with classified terroirs in its vineyards and La Chouette de Champillon Blanc de Noirs among its named bottles.
Sources
- https://www.champagneautreau.com/en/a-story/
- https://www.champagneautreau.com/en/domaine/
- https://www.champagneautreau.com/en/champagne/reserve/
- https://www.champagne.fr/en/visit-champagne/directory-champagne-producers/champagne-autreau-de-champillon
- https://champagne-bloggen.blogspot.com/2020/11/autreau-de-champillon-la-chouette-de.html
- https://champagneguiden.wine/2021/11/29/la-chouette-de-champillon-brut-reserve-grand-cru/
- https://www.vinsmart.se/wines/la-chouette-de-champillon-blanc-de-noirs/