Champagne Fernand Lemaire in Hautvillers
Champagne Fernand Lemaire is a family estate in Hautvillers whose first cuvée appeared in 1903. Fernand invested in his own press, vats and a vaulted chalk cellar to make Champagne independently. His great-grandchildren Hélène and Benoît have led the family business since 2022.
The estate offers a clear introduction to Hautvillers Premier Cru through blended Champagne, drier styles, Blanc de Blancs and vintage wine. It is a useful place to connect the village with the wines rather than treating Hautvillers only as a sightseeing stop.
Vineyards and family production
The producer describes six hectares across 21 parcels in Hautvillers, planted approximately 42% Chardonnay, 38% Meunier and 20% Pinot Noir. That balance gives the family material for both three-grape blends and Chardonnay-led wines.
The estate is HVE-certified and uses mechanical soil work as part of its sustainable farming approach. This is not a claim of organic certification. The family controls the process from vineyard work through production and sales.
Winemaking and cellar ageing
A vertical press dating from 1960 is part of the production story, alongside small and medium-sized tanks and barrels. The estate describes making its cuvées from the grapes of a single harvest year to retain the character of that year on the Hautvillers terroir.
Traditional bottle ageing, manual riddling and time after disgorgement complete the sequence. The producer gives a broad cellar-ageing range of two to ten years depending on the wine, followed by at least three months of rest after disgorgement. Ask which choices apply to the bottles in your tasting rather than treating one ageing period as universal.
Signature style and key cuvées
The most useful approach is classical comparison rather than a search for an extreme technique. Start with a house blend, then choose a wine that changes dosage, grape emphasis or maturity.
- Tradition Brut: the natural starting point for the blended style.
- Grande Réserve Extra Brut: a drier reference in the current historical collection.
- Tradition Rosé Brut: a different colour and fruit expression.
- Blanc de Blancs Brut: the Chardonnay-focused wine in the Signatures collection.
- Millésime: a vintage expression, subject to release and tasting availability.
The catalogue also includes Tradition Demi-Sec. Confirm the flight and any specific bottle interest before booking; the available tasting need not cover every label.
Food pairing ideas
Explore the Brut with gougères, shellfish or light charcuterie, Blanc de Blancs with white fish, and a mature bottle with poultry or mushrooms. If tasting a drier style, compare its balance with savoury food rather than assuming lower dosage automatically makes it the best wine.
Visiting Champagne Fernand Lemaire
The address is 88 rue des Buttes in Hautvillers. Comité Champagne lists cellar visits and tastings in English and French, with an appointment requested. Confirm your date, language and the precise experience before travelling.
This is a family-scale setting suited to visitors who want a coherent introduction to Premier Cru Hautvillers. The production story has real detail, but the tasting can remain approachable rather than requiring specialist vocabulary or an interest in experimental wine.
Best fit in a Champagne tour
Use Fernand Lemaire as a classical reference in a Hautvillers day. Vincent Bliard adds an organic and wood-ageing contrast; Jean-Philippe Bosser offers another family interpretation with a documented reserve-wine and maturation discussion.
A village lunch keeps the programme compact before continuing towards Épernay or Aÿ. Reims and Tinqueux are separate evening destinations, not local Épernay dinner stops. Build a private tour with lunch around confirmed visit lengths rather than filling every available gap with another tasting.
Common visitor questions
- Do I need to book?
Yes. Arrange the cellar visit and tasting in advance, including the required language. - How large is the vineyard?
The producer’s current estate page gives six hectares across 21 parcels in Hautvillers. - What should I taste first?
Begin with Tradition Brut, then compare a drier wine, Blanc de Blancs or a vintage expression from the available flight.