Champagne Andre Heucq, Blanc de Meunier Brut Nature NV

Producer: Champagne Andre Heucq
Region: Champagne, France
Grape Varieties: 100% Pinot Meunier
Viticulture: Organic/Biodynamic
Category: Sparkling Wine, Champagne
Size: 750ml

Champagne André Heucq is a fourth-generation, family-run grower Champagne house nestled in the heart of the Vallée de la Marne. André Heucq and his daughter, Fanny, specialize in Pinot Meunier, crafting wines from nearly six hectares of estate vineyards. André’s grandfather—also named André—founded the house in 1936, but that was far from his first foray into Champagne. The farmer and winemaker had been crafting bottles for his personal consumption for years before sharing his passionate expertise with the world. His son Roger took the reins in 1955 and began a campaign to expand the entire operation. Roger planted additional vineyards and modernized the cellar, while maintaining the winery’s family-run principles and small-lot winemaking. In 1973, the younger André Heucq took over, and his tenure has been defined by a shift to organic and biodynamic practices. He and his small team plow by horse, maintain natural ground cover, and stick to natural fertilizers and herbal tea treatments. The winery itself is self-sustaining and ECOCERT certified for producing its own electricity, recycling wastewater, and utilizing geothermal energy with their cooling Canadian well system. Elsewhere in Champagne, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate the hillsides, but on this land, Pinot Meunier is king. The dark-skinned grape comprises 80% of Heucq’s vineyards, and features prominently in their wines. Outside the tiny village of Cuisles, these vineyards contain a layer of green illite, a crystalline-mineral clay rarely found in other parts of the region. It contributes to a house style of elegance, purity, and focused minerality.