Domaine des Tuileries

History of the Domaine des Tuileries

The history of the domaine des Tuileries is inseparable from that of the Marx family, whose roots in Venteuil stretch back to the 17th century. The family has been present in the Marne Valley since 1675, and since then, the love of the vine and the grape has been passed down from generation to generation.

It was in the 1960s that grandfather Jacques Marx made a decisive turning point: abandoning mixed farming, he devoted himself to viticulture and pressing for major Champagne houses. By marrying Claudine Coutelas, the owner of a vineyard, he gave birth to what would become the Domaine Marx-Coutelas. His son Patrick took over and gradually expanded the family's viticultural heritage.

Bryan, who had been living in Paris and had studied strategic marketing in Bordeaux, was called back to Champagne to take over the family estate in 2018. Without formal technical training in viticulture, but armed with a fresh perspective and deep conviction, he decided to stake everything on organic farming and the raw expression of terroir, despite the initial reservations of those around him.

As early as 2019, he launched the domaine des Tuileries, a name steeped in childhood memories — the place where he used to picnic with his grandfather, beneath an old linden tree, during warm summer days. This personal and ambitious project came to life at the same moment as his move towards organic conversion, with the clear objective of producing artisan champagnes, free and faithful to their origins.

Terroirs and Vines of the Domaine des Tuileries

The village of Venteuil is located a few kilometres west of Hautvillers, just on the edge of the Montagne de Reims. Its landscape is remarkable: undulating hillsides slope down towards the Marne river, with slopes predominantly south-facing. The village actually takes its name from the strong westerly winds that regularly sweep through the vines, lending them a precious natural freshness.

The vineyard of the Domaine des Tuileries rests on south-facing plots planted with the three traditional Champagne grape varieties — Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier — on chalky and silty-clay soils. At depth, the subsoil presents one of the last great chalky outcroppings of the Marne Valley before the transition to clay and marls, characteristic of the western sector of the appellation. At the surface, clay dominates.

The vines average between 30 and 40 years of age, which gives them excellent root maturity and a remarkable aromatic expression. This plant heritage, worked according to the principles of organic farming since 2019, reflects a deep commitment to soil health and the vitality of each plot. The official conversion, obtained for the 2022 harvest, definitively seals this philosophy of respect for living things.

Vinifications of the Domaine des Tuileries

The cellar of the domaine des Tuileries is no ordinary winery. It is carved beneath the very vines, some ten metres deep, with no running water or electricity, a humidity level of 95% and a stable temperature of 12 degrees Celsius throughout the year. Abandoned for more than half a century, it was reactivated in 2019 by Bryan. The walls were even seeded with indigenous yeasts drawn from his own fermentations.

The winemaking protocol is identical for all cuvées, rooted in a minimalist and precise philosophy:

After pressing, the juices are brought to the cellar and placed in barrels, where spontaneous alcoholic fermentation begins at 12 °C and lasts two to three months. No sulfur is added before pressing; a minimal quantity is incorporated at the end of alcoholic fermentation only. Malolactic fermentation is not sought, but it is accepted if it occurs naturally.

Ageing takes place in 300-litre barrels, with two to three new barrels purchased each year from Burgundian and Champenois coopers. No lees stirring is carried out, with the exception of the Acacia cuvée, aged in acacia barrels. After one year in barrel, the wines are bottled under cork, rather than crown cap, to encourage gentle micro-oxygenation and refine ageing. All champagnes are disgorged manually after a minimum of 36 months in the cellar, and no dosage liqueur is added: the wines are brut nature.

This artisanal approach, almost Burgundian in spirit, lends the champagnes of the domaine des Tuileries a depth and a singularity that are rare in the appellation.

The Cuvées of the Domaine des Tuileries

The Domaine des Tuileries currently offers four vintage cuvées, all brut nature, bearing witness to the distinct expression of each grape variety and each terroir.

Clos du Château, Chardonnay

The first cuvée to be born under the Domaine des Tuileries label, the Clos du Château is a Champagne made from pure Chardonnay vinified in oak barrels. It is the founding cuvée, the one that revealed Bryan Marx's vision to the world. Upright, mineral, with remarkable tension, it expresses with purity the chalky limestone of Venteuil. On the palate, the citrus freshness is accompanied by a delicate buttery note derived from its time in wood, for a length that does justice to this great Chardonnay terroir.

Empreintes, Pinot Noir

A single-plot cuvée made exclusively from Pinot Noir, Empreintes is vinified and aged in oak barrels according to the same precise protocol as the other cuvées of the estate. The Pinot Noir from Venteuil, of which Bryan is particularly proud, delivers here a full-bodied and deep champagne, with notes of ripe red fruits and undergrowth, with a fine and elegant tannic structure. With this cuvée, Bryan wishes to highlight his village, Venteuil, which he considers too little known, and which offers very fine terroirs for its Pinot Noirs.

Acacia, Pinot Meunier

The Acacia cuvée is aged in acacia barrels, a wood with distinctive properties that encourages subtle micro-oxygenation while preserving the fruit. Meunier, a grape variety often underestimated, reveals here all of its floral and fruity elegance, with a characteristic roundness on the palate and a smooth and indulgent finish. 

Les Crayères, Blend of the three grape varieties

Les Crayères is the blend of the three grape varieties — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier — drawn from their respective barrels. All barrels not selected for the single-plot cuvées are included in this assemblage. The cuvée pays homage to the estate's natural chalk cellar, carved 10 metres deep beneath the vines, with constant humidity and temperature. From the first nose, aromas of lime zest, white pepper, toasted bread and delicate oak unfold. On the palate, the initial freshness gives way to a creamy and indulgent texture.