Origin and family history
Champagne Piollot is based in Polisot in the Aube department, in the Côte des Bar region of Champagne. Five generations of the family worked there as winemakers. Roland Piollot began in 1986 by bottling the family’s wines under his own name.
Vineyards and grape varieties
The vineyards were converted to organic farming in 2009. Piollot describes the work as biodynamic and, according to its own information, does not use chemical products or fertilisers. Documented work includes vine pruning, tying up, thinning the shoots, training the vines, manual weed control and hand harvesting. Among other things, horn manure, biodynamic compost and horn chippings are used. The heterogeneous planting material, originating from mass selection, also includes plots that have been maintained for more than 50 years.
The certified organic vineyard area consists of 62 % Pinot Noir, 18.5 % Chardonnay, 12 % Pinot Blanc, 7 % Pinot Meunier and 0.5 % Arbane. The wines are marketed under the Champagne appellation.
Cuvées and maturation
In addition to the classic styles, the winery focuses on vineyard-specific, vintage and varietal cuvées. The base wines mature until the following spring in tanks or barrels. The bottled wines are then stored for three to six years in an underground cellar.
Colas Robin
The Colas Robin cuvée comes from the single vineyard of the same name in Polisot, with a southern aspect and Kimmeridgian clay soils. The grapes are hand-harvested and pressed directly into stainless steel. After fermentation with natural yeasts, the wine matures for ten months in stainless steel and used oak. It then rests for five years on the lees in the bottle and is disgorged without dosage.
