Champagne Laurent Bénard in Tours-sur-Marne
Champagne Laurent Bénard is based in Tours-sur-Marne in the Champagne, France. The Bénard and Pitois families have been connected with winegrowing in Champagne since 1878. The family estate has been at its current address since 1934; the Laurent Bénard brand was founded in 2009–2010 alongside the family brand. Laurent and Michelle Bénard took over the estate in 1991; Charles Bénard has been working with Laurent since the 2020 harvest.
Vineyard sites and viticulture
The wines are marketed under the Champagne appellation; the vineyards are classified as Premier Cru. The estate describes the soils as clay and limestone, with a chalky subsoil. The plots are mostly oriented to the south, and partly to the south-east. Certified organic viticulture is recognised by ECOCERT for both grapes and wines.
The vines are on average around 40 years old and are renewed step by step with massal selections. On the organically farmed area there are 2.17 hectares of Pinot Noir, 0.45 hectares of Chardonnay and 0.82 hectares of Pinot Meunier. Harvesting is carried out by hand, with sorting if needed. In doing so, the estate relies on natural and local resources, and on methods with low input.
Wine style and cellar work
The range includes non-vintage and vintage wines as Extra-Brut and Brut Nature. The estate also produces Blanc de Noirs, as well as a Rosé made from macerated Pinot Noir.
The alcoholic fermentation is carried out using starter cultures made from its own grapes, and the malolactic fermentation happens naturally. Depending on the wine, wood, enamelled steel, stainless steel or terracotta are used. The wines mature on the lees from the first fermentation. Vinification takes place, as far as possible, without added sulphur and without any other oenological additions. A cuvée is shaped through a Perpetual Reserve developed in oak barrels, which has existed since 2012.
