Pertois-Lebrun
Pertois-Lebrun in Cramant farms 44 plots in the grand cru villages of Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Chouilly, Oger and Oiry, planted exclusively with Chardonnay. Clément and Antoine run the house in its fifth generation: Clément is responsible for the vineyards, while Antoine, who came from management consulting, handles the business side. Each plot is vinified separately, with ageing taking place, depending on the cuvée, in stainless steel, in wood or in sandstone amphorae. Pertois-Lebrun produces exclusively Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, mineral-driven and with plenty of tension. Dosage stays low, with Extra Brut as the standard, while some cuvées are released as Brut Nature.
The founding in Cramant
Paul Pertois and Françoise Lebrun combined the vineyards of their two families when they married in 1955; this is how Pertois-Lebrun came into being in Cramant, right in the heart of the Côte des Blancs. Their daughter Odile went on to take over the running of the estate. In the fifth generation, she was succeeded by her nephews Clément and Antoine, who grew up in Provence. Clément is the more nature-minded of the two and is converting the 44 plots to organic farming; Antoine gave up his career as a management consultant to take charge of the business's finances.
44 plots across five grand cru villages
The plots lie in Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Chouilly, Oger and Oiry and are planted exclusively with Chardonnay. In Chouilly the chalk runs deep, and this village is the source of Le Fond du Bateau and Derrière le Mont Aigu, the latter named after the site behind the Mont Aigu. Le Chetillons comes from Chétillon and Chétillon de Haut in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, where the vines are over forty years old. Yields stay low, picking and selection are done by hand, and each plot goes into the cellar on its own.
Stainless steel, wood and sandstone amphorae
Depending on the cuvée, the base wines age in stainless steel tanks, old wooden barrels or sandstone amphorae. The wood stays in the background, allowing for a gentle oxidative ageing. Clément and Antoine decide on malolactic fermentation according to vintage and plot, either for smoothness or for extra freshness. For Le Chetillons, the base wine is split roughly evenly between steel tank and wooden barrel for ten months, without fining or filtration; it then rests on its lees for at least seven years. This extended lees ageing lays a creamy texture over its taut acidity.
L'extravertie+Réserve ages in wooden barrels on fine lees, likewise without fining or filtration, and brings together fruit from seven crus: Chouilly, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oiry, Cramant, Oger, Cuis and Villeneuve, supplemented with reserve wines.
Dosage and handwork
Extra Brut is the standard at Pertois-Lebrun, and Derrière le Mont Aigu N°18 Sans Sulfites Ajouté is bottled as a Brut Nature, with no added sugar and no added sulphites. The cuvée names describe attitudes: L'ambitieuse, the ambitious one, L'Egoiste, the egoist. Clément and Antoine grow the grapes themselves, vinify them themselves and market the wines under their own name; riddling is done by hand. Production volume remains modest.