Champagne Guy Thibaut

Guy and Antoinette Thibaut founded this tiny recoltant-manipulant (grower-producer) estate in 1955, cultivating merely a hectare of vines located in Verzenay Grand Cru, nestled in the heart of the Reims mountains. Today, the domaine is helmed by Christophe Leriche, who inherited both the land and savoir-faire from his grandparents, mother and uncles. The estate now comprises of 24 different parcels spread across two hectares of vines planted primarily with Pinot Noir, complemented by small plots of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. Yearly production is minuscule - only a mere 10,000 bottles when vintage conditions permit!

From a very tender age, Christophe learnt how to care for the family's vineyards. His days were spent alongside Guy and Antoinette through the seasons - planting, trellising, vatting, debudding, pruning, cellar tasks and all kinds of vineyard/ cellar related tasks that are required of a vigneron or winegrower. Although deeply connected to the land, Christophe felt a strong calling to serve in uniform. He spent a good 10 years as a volunteer firefighter in France before finally returning to the domaine in 2000.

The first five years upon taking over the domaine marked a transformative period for Christophe and his family. He brought the entire vinification processes in-house, overhauled pressing and winery operations, and streamlined the development, aging and stylistic approaches of Champagne Guy Thibaut to a whole new level. Christophe placed huge emphasis on aromatic complexity and originality while remaining faithful to their terroirs and the equilibrium of their vines with nature without any use of synthetic chemicals.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Christophe continues to experiment with new techniques and methods in the vineyards and in the cellar. His relentless pursuit of excellence aims to offer a faithful representation of the estate's land, ensuring that their distinctive attributes are reflected in every bottle of champagne he makes.