Mailly-Champagne family maison with 3.6 hectares, Pinot Noir led vines, HVE and VDC certification, and 3 to 7 years on lees.
The producer
Champagne Michel Decotte is a family maison in Mailly-Champagne, one of Champagne's 17 Grand Cru villages. Karine and Ivan Decotte have managed the house since 1989. Its 3.6 hectare vineyard spans 22 parcels, with 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. Harvest is manual, pressing follows quickly, and the cellar uses stainless steel with malolactic fermentation alongside oak without it. Bottles rest 3 to 7 years on lees before disgorgement and dosage. HVE and VDC certification was obtained in 2020.
Known for
Pinot Noir led Grand Cru Champagne
Notable facts
Based in Mailly-Champagne, one of Champagne's 17 Grand Cru villages.
Karine and Ivan Decotte have managed the house since 1989.
The vineyard covers 3.6 hectares across 22 parcels, with 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay.
The house obtained dual HVE and VDC certification in 2020.
Bottles spend 3 to 7 years on lees before disgorgement and dosage.
The story
Certification Arrived in 2020
In 2020, while Karine and Ivan Decotte managed the family house, Champagne Michel Decotte obtained dual HVE and VDC certification. The two labels stand for High Environmental Value and Champagne Sustainable Viticulture. The certification came alongside vineyard measures already in use: sex pheromone disruption, biological amendments, a tailored phytosanitary strategy and hedgerow planting for biodiversity. The estate covers 3.6 hectares divided across 22 parcels, so the environmental programme applies across a small holding rather than a single block. The family describes its Champagne work as a multigenerational practice adapted to newer environmental methods.
From the atlas
Champagne Michel Decotte
A Mailly-Champagne family maison combining manual harvest with stainless steel and oak vinification.
At A Glance
Region
Champagne
Classification
Mailly-Champagne, one of Champagne's 17 Grand Cru villages
Vineyard
3.6 hectares across 22 parcels
Planting
80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay
Vinification
Stainless steel with malolactic fermentation and oak without it
Cellar
3 to 7 years on lees before disgorgement and dosage
The Producer
The grapes are harvested by hand and pressed as quickly as possible after picking at Champagne Michel Decotte, a family maison in Mailly-Champagne. Karine and Ivan Decotte have managed the house since 1989, continuing a Champagne tradition carried across generations. The house belongs to Champagne de Vignerons, a professional cooperative of Champagne growers.
Place
Mailly-Champagne sits in the Montagne de Reims, with parcels on hillsides and mid slopes facing north. A north facing exposure receives less direct sun, which can lengthen ripening and help preserve acidity. The subsoil contains more than 300 metres of chalk. Chalk can drain excess rain while holding water in its pores, giving vines both drainage and moisture reserves, a useful balance for sparkling wine.
Wines
Two named bottles in the range are Michel Decotte Blanc De Blancs Brut and Michel Decotte Cuvée Paul Millésime Brut. Both are Brut sparkling wines. Brut indicates a dry style, with dosage kept low enough to preserve a dry finish.
The house ages its bottles on lees for 3 to 7 years before disgorgement and dosage. Lees ageing allows yeast contact to soften the mousse and add texture associated with fresh bread. In the cellar, stainless steel lots undergo malolactic fermentation, while oak barrel lots do not. The two routes diversify the aromatic range across the wines.
Final Word
Champagne Michel Decotte joins Mailly-Champagne fruit to manual harvest, long lees ageing and two cellar paths, stainless steel with malolactic fermentation and oak without it.