Thibaud Brocard’s Champagne Brocard Pierre produces handmade, terroir-focused wines with great transparency and electricity, without any of the winemaking sleight-of-hand common in the world’s most recognizable appellation. The vibe here is a reflection of Thibaud himself: fresh and young; jovial, but always on-point, delivering precise, gastronomic wines designed for pleasure without pretense.
The Brocard family settled in Champagne in the 11th century. Thibaud is the fifth generation to work the 6.5-hectare family
vineyards near the village of Celles-sur-Ource, known as the Barséquanais, in the Côte des Bar, the southernmost subregion of Champagne. Just an hour north of Chablis, Côte des Bar is the transition point between Champagne and Burgundy. This cultural association is the basis for the region’s winemaking philosophy, traditions, and gastronomic identity. Thibaud endeavors to make the most delicious and joyous wines possible from this complex region. This may seem simple on the surface; yet, it is quite difficult to attain, given the variable and often harsh climate of northern France. It takes ingenuity, dedication, and talent to realize such ideals.
Côte des Bar soils consist of 150 million year-old Kimmeridgian limestone marl, found at lower elevations, along with slightly younger and harder Portlandian limestone soils on plateaus and near the crests of hills. Thibaud feels that Portlandian soil brings salinity and bitterness to the wines and a very interesting and exciting new expression to Champagne. He uses regenerative farming practices, in harmony with the biologically-diverse, forested environment of Côte des Bar, transitioning the vineyards to organic farming in 2012. While not dogmatically biodynamic, he tracks the moon cycles, especially when pruning and de-leafing. In the winery, Thibaud works non-oxidatively, notably utilizing nitrogen to protect his tanks and solera, which keeps the use of sulfur dioxide to the absolute minimum, while preserving fruit and vineyard expression. His Champagnes average just 18-32mg/L of total SO2, depending on vintage and what his native yeasts give. The wines age for 3-5 years on the lees in bottle, as well as an average of nine months post-disgorgement, to allow proper time to integrate before release.
- ‘Tradition’ Brut d’Assemblage NV
- ‘Bulles de Blancs’ Extra Brut
- ‘Contrée Noire’ Extra Brut
- ‘Saignée de la Côte’ Rosé Extra Brut NV