Ghislain Payer et Fille

Since its inception, the sparkling wine company Ghislain Payer et Fille has been passionately committed to producing refined and genuine Champagnes within the wine-growing area of the Vallée de la Marne. The historical roots of this Récoltant Manipulant go back to the 19th century, when the Lecourt-Barbez and Payer families were already engaged in wine-growing in the villages of Fleury-la-Rivière and Romery respectively. A century later, in 1962, the Payers were among the 24 founders of the Champagne regional wine cooperative. The union of the two families gave birth to Ghislain Payer et Fille, an estate managed today by Ghislain Payer and his daughter Elise Payer, the family's sixth winemaking generation. The winery is located in Fleury-la-Rivière, between Reims and Epernay, a village which, contrary to what its name might suggest, is not crossed by any river. In fact, the term 'fleury' refers to the fact that in the past, local winegrowers produced red wine that was transported all the way to Paris via the river Marne. Although it has become completely independent, this estate champenoise retains the cooperative spirit and therefore part of its harvest is still given to the cooperative.
The Ghislain Payer et Fille winery consists of just 4 hectares under vine, divided into some 20 plots reserved for the three symbolic Champagne varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, with a clear predominance of the first two varieties. The vines benefit from the influence of the limestone soil rich in marine fossils, a prerequisite for the exceptional mineral timbre of Ghislain Payer et Fille sparkling wines. The agronomic approach adopted is based on sustainable viticulture and the harvest is carried out strictly by hand. In the wine cellar, the different varieties are vinified separately and after the cuvée has been made, the wines are aged on the lees in the bottle for a long time, with periods of up to 10 years. The wines are finally subjected to manual degorgement.
The Champagnes of Ghislain Payer et Fille, from the accessible Brut Tradition to the prestigious Brut Millésime, are characterised by exquisite finesse and minerality, classic Champenoise attributes.