Pairs with: Your favorite sashimi

Good for: Enjoy something a little special

Grape: Pinot Noir

I am from: Champagne, France

The Story: The Drappier family tree can be traced back to the seventeenth century, when Rémy Drappier was born in 1604. He later became a cloth merchant in Reims, like Nicolas Ruinart, but it was not until 1808 that one of the House’s ancestors, François, settled in Urville and started to farm a vineyard spanning several hectares. In the early 1930s, the vineyard suddenly became a topic of heated discussion in Urville. Georges Collot, Michel Drappier’s maternal grandfather, decided he would be the first to replant the Pinot Noir grape in the canton.

His decision made waves, and earnt him the nickname le ‘Père Pinot’ or ‘Old Man Pinot’. This grape variety now represents 70% of the Drappier vineyard, and of the percentage cultivated in the Aube region, proving skeptics wrong. Michel Drappier now manages the vinification process (and has done since 1979), while André Drappier – with 74 harvests of experience – keeps a close eye over the vineyard, and since 2016, the eighth generation of the Drappier family has joined Michel and his wife Sylvie, to work on the family business, ensuring the continuing story of this legendary and groundbreaking producer.

Why You'll Love Me: Pours a golden color with copper hues. The nose shows freshly pressed black grapes, with red, white and citrus fruits. The ample palate is redolent of fleshy peach, with some spicy notes on the finish. A fine, tightly-knit Champagne of great purity -- generous yet mineral.