Michel DRAPPIER

Champagne Drappier is a family Winery of champagne installed in Urville in the Aube since the beginning of the 19th century and directed today by Michel Drappier. It was Saint Bernard, founder of theAbbey of Clairvaux, who built the current cellars of Winery !

Champagne Drappier, a family history

After André and Micheline Drappier, famous for their Carte d'Or vintage and the rosé de saignée, appreciated by General de Gaulle, it is now Michel Drappier who is at the head of Winery. Michel and his wife Sylvie are joined by the eighth generation of the Drappier family. Charline is gradually taking charge of marketing, while her brother Hugo is responsible for viticulture and oenology. Antoine, the youngest, is passionate about animals and nature. With his draft horse, he cultivates a part of the vineyard in organic farming.

Côte des Bars and pinot noir

On a powerful limestone base of the Upper Kimmeridgian that is found in the Grands Crus of Chablis, the Drappier vineyard is a land of welcome for Pinot Noir, Grape variety which "runs in our veins". Urville, in the heart of the Côte des Bars, is the village where the heart of the Drappier family beats since 1808. Planted 2000 years ago by the Gallo-Romans, the vines come down from the surrounding hillsides under the once benevolent gaze of Saint-Bernard de Clairvaux. Pinot noir reigns supreme, representing 70% of Winery, completed by pinot meunier at a rate of 15%, chardonnay 9%, and 6% of ancient grape varieties. The four forgotten grape varieties replanted by Michel are Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Blanc Vrai and Fromenteau. They cover an area of 3.5 hectares, cultivated in Organic Agriculture.

Animal traction and organic farming

On the Winery website, no weed killers or insecticides are used. The soil is plowed by hand, with horses and mechanically. The electric tractor is gradually replacing the thermal equipment. Thanks to controlled grassing, biodiversity is encouraged, guaranteeing the natural balance of the vineyard. The use of animal traction (horses) allows us to work as close as possible to the plant, to reduce the carbon impact, and especially to reduce soil compaction and thus, erosion. 27 hectares are cultivated in organic farming, certified by the Ecocert label.

The advent of a champagne without added sulfur

Thanks to the lowest dosage of sulfites in the industry, Champagne Drappier brings out the multiple facets of their terroirs and their vinification. The resulting Champagnes have more natural colors with rich, even coppery golds and fuller aromas. In 2007, the "Brut Nature Sans Soufre Ajouté" cuvée was created, the result of an experimental approach initiated in the 1980s!

Minimal intervention in winemaking

The vintages are vinified with minimal intervention, they are not filtered, nor discolored. No animal products are used. Some of the yeasts used for the fermentations have been selected and raised at Winery. At Winery Drappier, oak tuns mature the great vintages until they are bottled. The smallest containers (muids or demi-muids) are made of local oak, the one from the forest created by the Templars in the 13th century and of which the Oriental forest is today the heritage. The expedition liqueurs are aged in Limousin oak vats and then in dame-jeanne for more than 15 years, thus gaining in concentration and nobility. A reduced dose is added to each bottle at the time of disgorgement in order to accentuate the length in mouth without ever weighing down the palate. The Champagnes obtained in this way are more complex and purer too.