VALERIE FRISON

Valerie Frison

Champagne Valerie Frison “Fresh Air in Champagne”, is a good way to describe this small vigneron that we find in the Cote des Bar, that “subregion” located more than 100 km south of the classic heart of Champagne (Mountains of Reims, Cote de Blancs and Val de Marne). That area of ​​vineyards that has always been the "poor brother", that even at the beginning of the 20th century was temporarily excluded from the appellation, that is closer to Burgundy than to Epernay and where its soils are more reminiscent of Chablis than the most prestigious vineyards in the north.

Here in this region where Pinot Noir is the queen variety, it is where a small revolution is taking place, where a group of young producers are demonstrating that great champagnes can be made in this area, focusing on the origin, on the most respectful work possible to the vineyard.

Valerie Frisón is one of the main exponents of this small revolution in the Aube. His story as a producer began in 2007, when he and his partner Thierry de Marne took over 6 ha. from family vineyards located in the town of Ville-sur-Arce. That vintage they bottled their first 4,000 bottles, with the help and advice of their neighbor and friend Bertrand Gautherot de Vouette&Sorbée (one of the great little producers of Champagne). Since 2003 their vineyards have been certified organic, although they have now gone further and work in Biodynamic.

Vineyard and soil

93% of the vineyard is Pinot Noir and 7% Chardonnay.

The soils are basically Kimmeridgian, the typical calcareous soils that we find in Chablis (Burgundy), although they also have some plots with poor Portlandian soils, where they basically have Chardonnay. One of them in particular, Les Cotannes, produces a 100% Chardonnay parcel champagne, Lalore.

Philosophy

The winery, which was initially called Demarne-Frison, has been renamed Valerie Frison, after the breakup of the couple. Of the 4,000 bottles of 2007, they have been located in the 15,000 that they currently produce.

Each plot is vinified separately, indigenous yeasts, fermentation in used oak barrels acquired in Burgundy, spontaneous malolactic (if it does well and if not also). The wines are aged for 9 months in barrels and then short aging in the bottle ranging from 15 to 24 months. Not filtered, not clarified, very low levels of sulfur.

It produces only 3 Cuvees: Goustan (Pinot Noir), Lalore (Chardonnay) and Elion (Rosé de Pinot Noir). All are wines from a single vintage, although it is not reflected on the label, from a single grape variety and made in Brut Nature.