Buxeuil Champagne estate with biodynamic farming, Pinot Noir and select Chardonnay parcels, indigenous yeasts, and Élégance and Chloé cuvées.
The producer
Vincent Couche established the independent Champagne estate in Buxeuil in 1996. The holdings cover 15 hectares, with 12 hectares at Buxeuil and 3 hectares in Montgueux. The Buxeuil vineyards are planted mainly to Pinot Noir, with Chardonnay in select parcels. Biodynamic farming began in 1998, and Demeter certification followed in 2011. Élégance receives five years on lees and 10% barrel fermentation, while Chloé comes from a perpetual solera begun in 2011.
Known for
Biodynamic Buxeuil Pinot Noir Champagne
Notable facts
Vincent Couche established the independent Champagne estate in Buxeuil in 1996.
The holdings total 15 hectares, with 12 hectares at Buxeuil and 3 hectares in Montgueux.
Biodynamic farming began in 1998, and Demeter certification followed in 2011.
All fermentations use indigenous yeasts only, with no chaptalization.
The story
Replanting Under Claude Bourguignon
In 1999, Vincent Couche took control of his family's third generation domaine and began a wholesale restructuring of farming and cellar work. He began by replanting the vineyard under the direction of terroir specialist Claude Bourguignon. The first intervention was in the vineyard, but the wholesale restructuring covered the cellar as well, bringing both parts of production into one programme at the domaine from the start. Couche's fields and cellar together became the first in all of Champagne to receive Demeter certification.
From the atlas
Champagne Couche
Champagne Couche farms biodynamically in Buxeuil and Montgueux, with Pinot Noir as the principal grape in its Buxeuil vineyards.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Region
Champagne, Côte des Bar, Aube
Home village
Buxeuil
Holdings
15 hectares, 12 at Buxeuil and 3 in Montgueux
Farming
Biodynamic, Demeter certified
Named cuvées
Vincent Couche Élégance and Chloé
The Producer
Vincent Couche established the independent Champagne estate in the village of Buxeuil in 1996. Pinot Noir is the principal grape planted there, with Chardonnay in select parcels.
Biodynamic farming began in 1998, and Demeter certification followed in 2011. Cow horn preparations use manure buried over winter, while finely ground silica is buried in a cow horn over summer. Lunar and solar calendars guide the timing.
Place
Kimmeridgian clay limestone marl underlies the Buxeuil vineyards, which face south and southwest and contain fossilized oysters in the soil. Buxeuil sits in the Côte des Bar in the Aube, and the estate also has holdings in Montgueux.
Clay holds moisture and limestone drains excess water. South and southwest facing slopes receive more sunlight, supporting ripening, while limestone can help preserve freshness in Champagne.
Wines
The named wines include Vincent Couche Élégance and Chloé. Élégance is a Champagne cuvée made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Ten percent of the base wine is fermented in barrel, and the wine spends five years on lees. Lees are spent yeast cells; contact during ageing can add pastry aromas and a rounder texture. Its nose is saline and fresh, with crunchy pear, raspberry and golden delicious apple on the palate, followed by brioche and a long mineral finish.
Chloé comes from a perpetual solera begun in 2011, with 25% annual renewal and 50% oak vinification. A perpetual solera retains older wine as part of the cuvée is renewed each year, and this method can produce oxidative aromas. Chloé shows vanilla, candied citrus, white flowers and stone fruits.
Final Word
Annual production is about 100,000 bottles. All fermentations use indigenous yeasts only, and the wines are not chaptalized.