Olivier Horiot

The History of Champagne Olivier Horiot

The Horiot family has owned vineyards in Les Riceys since the 17th century, although Olivier’s branch of the family ran an inn for many years before returning to the land. His grandfather replanted the vineyard after phylloxera, making Olivier the third generation to earn a living from viticulture. His father, Serge Horiot, left a lasting mark on the village by cofounding the Coopérative viticole de Ricey-Bas, which the family remains committed to and is still a member of today.

For decades, the entire harvest went to the cooperative. That changed in the late 1990s, when Olivier Horiot returned to the family property and decided to make wine himself. From 2000 onward, he built a distinctive range of still wines to represent the diversity of Les Riceys’ terroirs, producing Rosés des Riceys and Coteaux Champenois by named vineyard site—something the village had not seen in over a century. In 2004, he launched a range of vintage champagnes under his own name; since his wife joined him, they have been labeled Marie et Olivier Horiot. Having converted to organic and biodynamic farming in the early 2000s, the estate received Biodyvin certification in 2013 and has emerged as one of the great Champagne discoveries of its generation.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Champagne Olivier Horiot

Les Riceys is unique in Champagne. Over the centuries, this village in the Aube has belonged at times to Burgundy and at times to Champagne. It is the only village with three controlled appellations: Champagne, of course, but also Coteaux Champenois for red and white wines, and Rosé des Riceys, a still, vinous rosé that has become exceptionally rare. The vineyards extend across the three villages of Les Riceys, on marl and clay soils over hard Kimmeridgian limestone—exactly the same formations found in nearby Chablis.

The estate covers about eight and a half hectares, two of which are devoted to cuvées bearing Olivier Horiot’s name. The named vineyard sites are worked separately, particularly En Barmont, a steep slope with heavy clay soils that yields the estate’s deepest pinot noirs, and En Valingrain, where marl over hard limestone produces a more graceful, floral expression. Pinot noir predominates, as it does throughout the Côte des Bar, but Olivier Horiot has set out to replant and champion all seven Champagne grape varieties: chardonnay, meunier, arbane, petit meslier, pinot blanc and pinot gris complete the range, creating a diversity of grape varieties almost unmatched in the region. The vines are grown without synthetic chemicals, with moderate yields and harvesting by hand.

Winemaking at Champagne Olivier Horiot

The cellar philosophy can be summed up in one phrase: one grape variety, one vineyard, one year. Each plot is vinified separately using only indigenous yeasts, with no added yeast or adjustments. The champagnes ferment and age in oak barrels for about a year on fine lees that are stirred to preserve the character of the year’s fruit and reveal each vintage as naturally as possible. The wines are neither fined nor filtered, sulfur is used very sparingly, and dosage is zero or limited to two grams per liter. Almost the entire range is extra brut or brut nature.

The still wines follow an equally artisanal process. For Rosé des Riceys, about 10% of the harvest is crushed by foot at the bottom of the vat before whole bunches are added for a five- to six-day semi-carbonic maceration, with the juice pumped over twice daily. The wine is then transferred to old barrels, where it rests on its lees for several years before being bottled without filtration. Rosés des Riceys are generally released only five years after the harvest, which helps explain their depth and their ability to age, often for more than ten years.

The Cuvées of Champagne Olivier Horiot

Sève Blanc de Noirs En Barmont, Brut Nature: the cuvée that established the range, made entirely from pinot noir grown on the Barmonts plot and produced as a vintage wine according to the principle of one grape variety, one vineyard, one year. Fermented and aged in barrels on stirred lees, with no dosage, it offers a very fresh nose with notes of lemon and fully ripe grapes, and a focused, fruity, spicy palate with the mineral energy typical of Les Riceys. A blanc de noirs made for the table.

Sève Rosé de Saignée En Barmont, Extra Brut: the rosé counterpart to the Sève cuvée, made by the saignée method from pinot noir grown on the same plot, with four to five days of maceration followed by barrel aging. It has a deep color, an alluring nose and a powerful, persistent palate of ripe red and dark fruit. A dosage of just 2 grams makes for a deep, vinous rosé champagne.

Métisse, Extra Brut: a blend of red and white grape varieties from Les Riceys, livelier and more taut than the Sève cuvée. The expressive, enticing nose combines ripe white and yellow fruit with a subtle hint of red berries, while the palate retains the generous body that marks the estate’s wines, with greater precision and freshness. A brut nature version is also made in certain vintages.

5 Sens, Brut Nature: the estate’s statement cuvée, built around the number five: five grape varieties (arbane, pinot blanc, meunier, pinot noir and chardonnay), five terroirs and five barrels, each vinified separately. The complex nose shows ripe fruit with hints of hazelnut and resinous woods; the vinous, opulent yet lively palate offers apple, grape and red berries. About 1,500 bottles are produced, with no dosage.

Arbane Pure, Brut Nature: an exceptional rarity, this champagne is made entirely from arbane, a historic Champagne grape variety of which only a handful of hectares remain in all of France. Barrel-vinified like the rest of the range and made with no dosage, the cuvée offers a floral, spicy and surprisingly taut profile for lovers of rare grape varieties.

Soléra, Brut Nature: a blended cuvée based on the solera system borrowed from Sherry, bringing together the estate’s seven grape varieties and several plots across many successive vintages. The nose develops notes of yellow and white-fleshed fruit alongside tertiary hints of almond. The palate is full and supple, with a long, appealing finish. A cuvée of great complexity that benefits from a few more years in the cellar.

Ailleurs, Brut Nature: a more recent vintage cuvée born of a desire to explore other expressions of the Les Riceys terroir. As always, it is vinified in oak with indigenous yeasts and bottled with no dosage, capturing a particular vintage in a style that is both vinous and easy to drink. Produced in very small quantities.

Envol, Brut Nature: another recent creation from the estate, acclaimed by critics and made in the same spirit of minimal intervention. It favors finesse and aromatic lift over power, with the Kimmeridgian salinity found throughout the range. Try it with fine fish and carefully prepared cuisine.

Rosé des Riceys En Barmont: a still rosé made entirely from pinot noir grown on the Barmonts plot, a steep slope with heavy clay soils. Olivier Horiot believes it is the first single-site wine produced here in over a century. Concentrated red fruit, a ripe, subtly rustic character and fine tannins make this an outstanding expression of an exceptionally rare appellation.

Rosé des Riceys En Valingrain: a second single-plot still rosé, grown on marl over the hard limestone of the Kimmeridgian. Pale, light garnet in color, it opens with vivid aromas of wild strawberry, cranberry and rosehip, joined by notes of wild rose, mandarin peel and sandalwood with aeration. Round and appealing, with very light tannins, it can easily age for ten to fifteen years. Unfiltered, unfined and made with very little added sulfur.

Esquisse de Rosé des Riceys: a more immediately approachable version of the village’s famous still rosé, conceived as an introduction to this little-known appellation. It offers vivid fruit and a softer structure, making it ready to drink on release while retaining the estate’s signature character.

Coteaux Champenois Riceys Rouge En Barmont: a still red wine made entirely from pinot noir, unfiltered and vinified by named vineyard site. It recalls the fresh herbal character and aromatic finesse of the northern pinot noirs once widely produced in the region, with delicate fruit and refined tannins. An unusual wine well worth seeking out.

Coteaux Champenois Riceys Blanc En Valingrain: the white counterpart to the preceding wine, from the En Valingrain vineyard site. Lively and fresh on both the nose and palate, with notes of licorice and citrus, it makes an ideal aperitif and reveals a rarely explored side of the Les Riceys terroir.

Serge Horiot Brut Tradition and Cuvée Prestige: true to his father’s cooperative spirit, the family continues to produce more traditional blended champagnes under the Serge Horiot label. More approachable than the single-plot cuvées, they retain the generous fruit and body of Côte des Bar pinot noir, in a convivial style suited to aperitifs and everyday meals.