Reims Champagne house with a family vineyard across 64 villages and a Victoire collection drawn mainly from Premier Cru sites.
The producer
Champagne G.H. Martel & Cie is based in Reims and was founded by Gustav Heinrich Martel in 1869 at Avenay-Val-d'Or. The Rapeneau family has led the house for four generations and has been present in Champagne for more than a century. Its family vineyard is HEV3 certified and spread across 64 Champagne villages. The Victoire collection uses predominantly Premier Cru terroirs, while the house style is fresh and mineral, with pronounced acidity.
Known for
Fresh, mineral Champagne from family vineyards
Notable facts
Gustav Heinrich Martel founded the house in 1869 at Avenay-Val-d'Or.
The Rapeneau family has led Champagne G.H. Martel & Cie for four generations.
The family vineyard is HEV3 certified and spread across 64 Champagne villages.
Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay with a 10g/l dosage.
The story
Four Generations at Martel
In 1979, Ernest Emile Rapeneau acquired Champagne G.H. Martel & Cie. When he later withdrew permanently from business, he left direction of the company to two sons, François and Bernard. The next succession brought in Jean-Rémy, Vincent, Paul-Alexandre and Charles Henry, named as the third and fourth generations of the family at the house. Champagne G.H. Martel & Cie is now owned by the Rapeneau family after four generations of leadership.
From the atlas
Champagne G.H. Martel & Cie
A Reims Champagne house with a dispersed family vineyard and a Victoire collection drawn from predominantly Premier Cru terroirs.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Headquarters
Reims
Family vineyard
HEV3 certified, spread across 64 Champagne villages
House style
Fresh, mineral wines with pronounced acidity
Named cuvées
Victoire Brut Prestige, Victoire Premier Cru, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs
The Producer
At Avenay-Val-d'Or, Gustav Heinrich Martel was a grower when he founded his eponymous house in 1869. The Rapeneau family now owns Champagne G.H. Martel & Cie after four generations of leadership, and the family has been present in Champagne for more than a century.
The family vineyard is certified Haute Valeur Environnementale level 3 and spread across 64 Champagne villages. The house style is fresh and mineral, with pronounced acidity, delicacy and expression in the cuvées.
Place
Reims is the current headquarters of Champagne G.H. Martel & Cie. The family vineyard extends across 64 Champagne villages, giving the house a broad Champagne base.
The Victoire collection works at a more defined site level, using a meticulous selection of terroirs predominantly classified Premier Cru. In Champagne, Premier Cru identifies a higher classified tier of vineyard origin, so the designation narrows the geographic focus of these cuvées.
Wines
Victoire is a collection built from predominantly Premier Cru terroirs. Its named bottles include Victoire Brut Prestige and Victoire Premier Cru, alongside Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs. The lineup also includes Millésime and Brut Rosé.
Blanc de Blancs is made from 100% Chardonnay and carries a 10g/l dosage. Dosage is the wine and sugar addition made after disgorgement in traditional method Champagne, adjusting the final balance of the bottle.
In The Glass
The house style is fresh and mineral, with acidity carrying the wines through the palate. Victoire Brut Prestige has an intense robe with golden glints and a fine density on the nose. The mouth is invigorating and lively, with fresh characteristics.
Victoire Premier Cru is fresh and powerful, with pear and peach on the palate. Blanc de Blancs is savory and easy, finishing with a tonic sharpness that moves between fullness and crisp acidity. Blanc de Noirs brings raspberry, fresh blackcurrant and wild rose berries, followed by pure, vertical freshness and chalky length.
A Bottle To Understand It
Victoire Brut Prestige is the first bottle to open. Its composition is 40% Chardonnay, 55% Pinot Noir and 5% Meunier, and it comes from the Victoire collection's predominantly Premier Cru vineyard selection. The cuvée places the house's three named Champagne grape varieties in one bottle.
Final Word
Champagne G.H. Martel & Cie is a Reims house with a family vineyard spread across Champagne villages and a Victoire collection based on predominantly Premier Cru terroirs. Freshness, minerality and acidity define the house style.