The passion in legacy...
We are two sisters, Nathalie and Stéphanie, and we chose to change our profession completely at the age of 40 in order to continue the family passion. Our Domaine Briaux Lenique is located in the heart of the Marne Valley on the clay-limestone slopes around the village of Mardeuil, three kilometres from Epernay. The vineyard covers 4 hectares and consists of 21 plots, half of which are planted with Pinot Meunier, 30% with Chardonnay and 20% with Pinot Noir.
Our parents, Pol Briaux and Christiane Lenique, created the Briaux Lenique brand in 1965 and chose the status of Récoltant Manipulant to control all the stages of wine making on the property. They cultivate the vines, elaborate their Champagnes with passion and develop the business for almost 50 years. Today, proud of their heritage, we combine tradition and modernity to offer five Cuvées of character, each expressing a majority of the three types of grapes of the terroir.
Respecting our Earth... Zero weedkillers !
Motivated by the deep desire to reduce the impact of our activity on the environment and to preserve our terroir, we favour the treatment of our plots with products used in organic farming and recycle our waste. Our estate is certified Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne (VDC) and High Environmental Value (HVE). But we go further: by methodically working our soils as in the last century with our ploughs and our interceps on old tractors, but also our arms, we do not use any herbicide since 2015.
Beautiful grapes as a reward!
Each year, the date of the harvest of each plot is carefully set to harvest grapes at perfect maturity. The same team of pickers, loyal and used to the demands of the Domaine, is on hand. They carry out a strict selection of grapes that only hand-picking, without any yield objective, allows. The grapes are pressed in the new horizontal press with pneumatic membrane which allows a very high quality pressing in the respect of the hygiene standards.
New equipment for more precision...
The 22 superimposed stainless steel vats in our new winery allow the transfer of the must by gravity and easy access to the chimneys for a quick and secure visual control of the wines. Thanks to their small volumes of 10 to 22hl, we can separate each press and carry out a parcel-based vinification that enhances the diversity of expression of each terroir, each Lieu-dit. The temperature of each vat is perfectly controlled in order to finely pilot all the stages of the vinification: the settling and the fermentations.
New spaces to welcome you better...
We will be happy to welcome you to the Domaine to share our wonderful profession. We will start with a visit of our installations, enriched by each phase of work. From the old traditional press to the new one, from the historical vat room to the thermo-regulated one, up to our cellars and the area where we dress our bottles, we will explain everything to you!
We will finish with a tasting of our Cuvées in our new reception area.
The whole visit is of course accessible for people with reduced mobility.
Award-winning vintages...
By Philippe Faure-Brac, best sommelier in the world, who selected our creation, Perle de Craie Millésime 2008, for a Food and Wine Pairing in the magazine Terre de Vins.
By the Jury Prize in the category of Assemblage Récoltant Manipulant and the Public Prize in all categories, during the 2020 edition of the Jeunes Talents du Champagne for our Cuvée Les Semons,
medals for our Cuvées Tradition, Les Semons, Rosé and Blanc de Blancs at the Concours des Vignerons Indépendants and Gilbert et Gaillard
By tasting comments in the Hachette, Gault et Millau, Dussert et Gerber and Véron des Champagnes wine guides.
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