Who makes it
Fernand Lemaire began with equipment and a cellar. He invested in his own press and first vats, then had a cellar dug into chalk. Champagne Fernand Lemaire is a family house in Hautvillers, a Premier Cru village, now managed by Hélène and Benoît, Fernand's great grandchildren, who assumed leadership in 2022.
The house is in its fourth generation of family ownership and cultivates the three classic Champagne varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier. Its production joins a family cellar tradition to a range of white and rosé sparkling wines.
Where it grows
Hautvillers is the Premier Cru village at the centre of the house. Premier Cru is a village classification within Champagne's vineyard hierarchy. Tradition Brut carries fruit sourced entirely from Hautvillers Premier Cru vineyards, while Tradition Rosé Brut uses Pinot Noir red wine from Cumières Premier Cru.
The two village names enter different parts of the range. Hautvillers supplies the white wine origin for Tradition Brut, while Cumières supplies the red wine component used in the rosé.
How it is made
The cellar
The estate covers 6 hectares and cultivates Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier. Its vineyard holds High Environmental Value certification, a French certification concerned with environmental performance in farming.
Tradition Rosé Brut follows traditional vinification and rests for at least 24 months on its lees. Lees are the spent yeast cells left after fermentation. Contact with them over time can add roundness and bready notes while the wine develops in bottle.
What they make
Two Tradition cuvées organise the documented range. Tradition Brut is a light gold sparkling wine with fine effervescence, made from 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, and 33% Meunier.
Tradition Rosé Brut is pastel pink with light salmon tints and lively effervescence. Its composition joins Chardonnay with Pinot Noir red wine from Cumières Premier Cru, giving the range a rosé cuvée alongside the equal part white blend.