Fleury

Courteron, Côtes de Bar Champagne, France Champagne Fleury has been run by the Fleury family for over a century, with each generation contributing to its reputation for innovation. In 1901, Emile Fleury became the first grower in Champagne to replant Pinot Noir after phyloxerra. His son, Robert Fleury, then made the unusual decision to bottle his own champagne in 1929. In the 1970s, Jean-Pierre Fleury became concerned about the effects of chemical agriculture on the environment and began experimenting with manual tilling and composting followed by a trial of biodynamy on 3 hectares of the estate in 1989. Within 3 years he decided to apply those principles to the entirety of his vineyard holdings. In 1993, Gault-Millau elected Jean-Pierre winemaker of the year and the international recognition has continued. Located in the Côtes de Bar in the village of Courteron, the Fleury estate vineyards stretch 15 hectares on both slopes of the Seine valley. In the words of Jean-Sébastian Fleury: “We must keep the earth healthy. The structure of the soil provides the essence of the terroir.”“We must keep the earth healthy. The structure of the soil provides the essence of the terroir,” which is an aspect missing from most of Champange.