Marguet
Champagne Marguet is situated in the town of Ambonnay in Montagne de Reims.
With its uncompromising pursuit of quality, Benoit Marguet has rapidly taken
the family business to become one of the top producers in Champagne
In the vineyard
Benoit Marguet's holistic approach to champagne is unique in many ways. He is an absolute biodynamic pioneer in Champagne, and the vinery is certified by Demeter. He sprays his vines with herbal mixtures, and ploughs the fields with horses to provide the best oxygenation of the soil.
In the cellar
Benoit Marguet produces all his champagnes with minimal intervention. All the wines are spontaneously fermented in oak barrels where the base wines stay for 9 months before being bottled for the second fermentation. Marguet does not filter or fine his wines, and he mostly doesn't add sulfur to his cuvées. If he does, it is only in very small amounts (maximum 25mg/l). Additionally, all of his wines are Brut Nature, meaning that no dosage is added.
The wines
Marguet's wines are divided into four levels. The base cuvées, Shaman and Yuman, then the commune wines and lieu-dits, and finally the top cuvée, Sapience, which Benoit started making with Hervé Jestin in 2006 using grapes purchased from David Léclapart, Vincent Laval and Benoît Lahaye. Marguet cultivates a slightly oxidative style, the wines are pithy, savory, and expressive.
Champagne Marguet spans 8 hectares. While Ambonnay is usually associated with red grapes, Benoit has chosen to plant about 40% Chardonnay, believing that this grape variety thrives in the region. For instance, Chardonnay has been planted at the lieu-dit Le Parc in Ambonnay, in contrast to Krug, which has exclusively planted Pinot Noir.