In the sleepy village of Villers-aux-Nœuds, where most farmland long ago abandoned vines for more lucrative crops, Emmanuel Brochet is quietly rewriting Champagne’s playbook. A farmer’s son who chose the vine over convention, he took over his family’s 2.5-hectare Mont Benoit parcel in 1997—not out of duty, but passion. What began as a solo experiment is now one of Champagne’s most thrilling cult estates, where organic farming (certified since 2011) and old-school rigour meet avant-garde winemaking.
Since 2016, all wines ferment and age 11 months in oak (25% new, from top coopers like Rousseau and François Frères), lending stability without heavy sulfites. Only tiny sulfur additions at pressing and post-malo—otherwise, the wines speak for themselves. Brochet’s Champagnes are Burgundian in depth, yet unmistakably Champagne in energy.
Having inherited a modest 2.5ha in the prized Mont Benoit vineyard, Emmanuel was left thirsty for more. In recent years, this dynamic grower launched a side project called “Selected,” where he taps into relationships with fellow farmers in neighbouring villages, sharing his philosophy and biodynamic approach to cultivation.
As The Wine Advocate notes: "Everything he produces reflects an insatiable desire for excellence." And we are always left thirsty for more.
