Domaine Vincey

History of Domaine Vincey

The Vincey family has been cultivating its vines in Oger for eight generations. For decades, like almost all families in the village, the Vinceys delivered their grapes to the local cooperative, perpetuating a tradition deeply rooted in the history of this Grand Cru, which long remained in the shadow of its neighbours on the Côte des Blancs. It was Quentin Vincey, heir to this long lineage, who took the reins of the family estate in 2014 and decided to break with this cooperative model in order to write a new chapter. Joined by Marine, his partner, who brought with her a solid expertise in communications and an in-depth knowledge of the Champagne world acquired within several major houses, the couple united their talents to give birth to Domaine Vincey as an independent récoltant-manipulant. The first harvest vinified under their own label, in 2014, gave rise to the founding cuvée christened "La Première": a symbolic birth certificate, and the affirmation of a clear ambition — to restore to Oger the recognition it fully deserves. Since then, the estate has continued to develop, equipping itself with a traditional press, a gravity-fed cellar carved into the chalk, and a viticultural and oenological approach of ever-greater exigence with each passing vintage.

At the Château de Renneville, located about ten kilometres from the estate, Marine and Quentin have developed a true living laboratory, in which animals, fruit trees and aromatic plantings form a coherent ecosystem. It is here that the biodynamic preparations used in the vineyard are crafted, sourced from the harvests of the estate itself. This holistic approach, which goes beyond the vine alone to embrace a way of life in harmony with nature, illustrates the depth of Quentin and Marine's commitment, and gives Domaine Vincey a rare singularity within the contemporary Champagne landscape.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Vincey

The vineyard of Domaine Vincey spans seven to eight hectares, planted across three of the seven villages classified as Grand Cru Blanc de la Champagne: Oger, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Chouilly. This privileged position, at the heart of the Côte des Blancs, places the estate at the pinnacle of the Champagne hierarchy, in an area where Cretaceous chalk surfaces or lies just beneath thin layers of brown clay. This chalky subsoil, characteristic of the appellation, imparts to the wines that mineral tension, that vivacity and that length on the palate which are the hallmark of the greatest Blancs de Blancs of Champagne. The vast majority of the plots are planted with massale selection, with vines several decades old, some dating from the 1930s to the 1990s, ensuring remarkable genetic diversity and an aromatic expression of unparalleled richness. Five of the seven hectares are classified Grand Cru, an exceptional proportion that bears witness to the intrinsic quality of the land inherited by the Vincey family over the generations.

Within the terroir of Oger, the lieu-dit "Le Grand Jardin" occupies a special place: its old massale-selection vines, facing full south-east, take root in a thin layer of vegetative cover overlying brown clay and chalk gravels at depth. On Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, the plots "Chemin de Châlons" and "Auge" bring to the estate the chalky, taut signature characteristic of this mythical cru, with soils composed of brown clays over a bedrock of pure chalk. Chardonnay is the sole variety cultivated here, in perfect harmony with a terroir that reveals all its facets: from floral freshness to saline depth, by way of iodic tension and the creamy substance that only old massale-selection vines can offer.

Vinifications at Domaine Vincey

At Domaine Vincey, winemaking is conceived as a reasoned non-intervention: the aim is to guide the grape towards its most authentic expression, without constraining or altering it. Harvesting is carried out by hand, plot by plot, to preserve the integrity of the fruit. Pressing is performed using a traditional vertical wooden press of the Coquard type, with a capacity of 4,000 kilograms, without any addition of sulfur. The clear juice then flows by gravity, without pumping, directly into the vaulted cellar carved into the chalk — cold and deep — where it begins a natural alcoholic fermentation solely through the indigenous yeasts present on the grapes. Ageing takes place entirely in French oak barrels, selected from local forests within a radius of 200 kilometres, in 228-litre barrels or 500-litre tonneaux, used primarily for their capacity for gentle micro-oxygenation rather than for any contribution of wood flavour. Since the 2020 vintage, no sulfur has been added at any stage of the winemaking process.

Each barrel is monitored individually, tasted regularly in spring to assess its development. Malolactic fermentation is not systematic: some cuvées undergo it naturally, others do not, depending on the desired profile. Certain barrels develop a flor veil, allowing for biological ageing that enriches the complexity of the wine. The wines undergo no fining or filtration whatsoever, thus preserving all their substance and ageing potential. Bottling takes place under cork closure, in the most demanding Champagne tradition, before a long period on lees in the cellar. Riddling and disgorgement are carried out entirely by hand. The estate produces only vintage Champagnes, always as Brut Nature (zero dosage), which demands perfect grape maturity and total mastery of the winemaking process from start to finish.

The Cuvées of Domaine Vincey

La Première : the founding cuvée of the estate, born with the 2014 vintage, "La Première" is a Champagne Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru made from 100% Chardonnay, sourced from a blend of plots located on mid-slope, full terroir and lower slope in Oger. The vines, planted between 1954 and 1988 via massale selection, rest on calcareous brown clays above the chalk. The vinification combines a portion in oak barrels and a portion in stainless steel vats, before extended ageing of five years on lees. The result is a Champagne of remarkable straightforwardness, both full-bodied and taut, with a dense substance and a persistent minerality that fully embodies the identity of Oger. Zero dosage, manual riddling and disgorgement.

Le Grand Jardin : an exceptional single-plot cuvée, "Le Grand Jardin" is sourced from a small plot of approximately 45 ares on the Grand Cru of Oger, planted in 1967 with massale selection Chardonnay. Facing full south-east, this vine takes root on a thin layer of vegetative cover overlying brown clay and chalk gravel at depth. The vinification is carried out entirely in oak barrels, with no malolactic fermentation, no fining or filtration. Cork-sealed bottling is followed by five years of ageing on lees, with manual riddling and disgorgement. The dosage is zero grams per litre. This Brut Nature Champagne delivers a strikingly pure expression of chalk, with a saline tension, an iodic finish and an aromatic depth that make it one of the most sought-after cuvées of the estate for lovers of great terroir-driven Champagnes.

Oger : the "Oger" cuvée is a Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature Grand Cru, crafted from a blend of plots from the village of Oger in 100% Chardonnay, reflecting the diversity of exposures of the cru (south-east and north-east). The vines, planted between 1937 and 1992, are trained 90% via massale selection on deep brown clays laid over a bed of Cretaceous chalk. Pressing is carried out using a traditional wooden Coquard press, followed by light settling, natural vinification in oak barrels from local forests (from 228 to 500 litres), with indigenous yeasts and no additives or sulfites. Malolactic fermentation is natural. Lees ageing lasts twelve months; cork-sealed bottling is followed by manual riddling and disgorgement. Total SO2 content is approximately 10 mg/L. This Champagne delivers the full clay-chalk richness of Oger: an ample palate, a texture of melted chalk and a finish carried by a broad and persistent minerality.

Chemin de Châlons : the "Chemin de Châlons" cuvée is a Brut Nature Champagne made from 100% Chardonnay, sourced from the eponymous plot on the Grand Cru terroir of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, planted in 1968 via massale selection, south-east facing, on a soil composed of deep brown clays resting on pure Cretaceous chalk. Vinified naturally in oak barrels, with no added sulfur since the 2020 vintage, aged on lees before cork-sealed disgorgement, with manual riddling and disgorgement, this cuvée embodies the electrifying signature of Mesnil: a chiselled acidity, a vertical tension and a chalky minerality of remarkable precision. It appeals to lovers of single-lieu-dit Champagnes of great expressive purity, capable of extended cellar ageing.