Thomas Perseval

Lieu-dit

The Perseval family has been working the land for generations, adding vineyards to their traditional cereal crops. In the 1980s, Thomas's parents left the cooperative and began vinifying their own harvest, laying the foundations for the family estate. After training and working in a Burgundy vineyard that was sensitive to biodynamics, Thomas decided in 2003 to take over the vineyards and give the estate a new lease of life. Convinced that quality begins in the vineyard, he began the conversion to organic farming very early on, a process that was certified in 2012. Since then, he has paid constant attention to soil health, plant balance and fruit vitality.

The vineyard covers approximately 2.5 hectares spread over six plots around the village of Chamery Premier Cru, in the heart of the Montagne de Reims. The classic Champagne grape varieties Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay reign supreme, but Thomas also cultivates a few rare old varieties such as Petit Meslier, Arbanne and Pinot Blanc, bringing diversity and depth to the blends. The soils are a mixture of clay, sand and silty limestone, depending on the plot, with each micro-terroir being worked separately to preserve its unique character. Maintenance is done by hand, the soil is energised, plant cover promotes biodiversity, and treatments are natural, with the aim of allowing the character of the soil and climate to express themselves fully in each grape.

In the cellar, intervention is minimal, in keeping with the "terroir first" philosophy. Fermentation occurs naturally, the wines often age on lees after several months of ageing in 228- or 500-litre barrels, depending on the cuvée, sulphites are reduced to the bare minimum or even absent, and disgorging is done by hand, sometimes on the fly. Each plot produces its own cuvée, often "old vines" or "lieu-dit", vinified separately to preserve its identity. Thomas Perseval's champagnes are distinguished by their energy, purity, aromatic clarity and fine minerality. Rich in ripe fruit, with discreet charm and saline or floral tension depending on the wine, they are a faithful reflection of a respected terroir and a sincere philosophy of viticulture...