Clandestin

Champagne Clandestin is a Maison that represents a perfect synthesis between two great French wine territories: Burgundy and Champagne. In fact, the founder, Benoît Doussot, created this original and interesting reality by trying to combine the best characteristics of his native land with that of his adopted region. An ambitious project, which was born from the meeting between Bonoît and Bertrand Gautherot, owner of Vouette & Sorbeé, who had some vineyards in Côte des Bar that were not used to make the prestigious Maison's cuvées. Two different cultures, united, however, by their great knowledge of the wine world and their desire to aim only for excellence through the authentic expression of terroir.
The Champagne terroir includes different areas: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs and Côte des Bars. It lies at the northern limit of vine cultivation at a latitude of 48° to 49.5°. The climate is influenced by a dual regime, continental and oceanic. The continental character is expressed by well-defined seasons, with alternating cold winters and warm summers. The oceanic influence, on the other hand, provides good rainfall and mild breezes, which soften the climate. The soils are predominantly limestone in nature, generated by sedimentation in sea beds. Their composition varies from area to area, with the presence of limestone and chalk outcrops in Côte des Blancs, deep chalk banks in Reims, and mixed soils of limestone, silt and clays in the Vallée de la Marne. The Champagne Clandestin estate is located in the Côte des Bar area, the southernmost part of the Champagne region, which is characterized by a milder climate and soils composed of limestone-clay marls, more similar to the soils of Burgundy and particularly suitable for growing Pinot Noir.
The property can count on high-value plots, which until then had not been sufficiently exploited, due to their exposure, which was considered suboptimal. The name chosen for the Maison derives precisely from the custom of considering these plots to be poorly suited, almost "clandestine" within a park of vineyards with wonderful southeast-facing exposures. However, these are old vines that naturally produce a few clusters per plant with remarkable concentration and aromatic intensity. The agronomic management, based on the principles of Ecocert-certified organic farming, results in healthy and genuine grapes. Winemaking is carried out using only indigenous yeasts, with aging in oak barrels. Champagnes are not filtered and are bottled without dosage.