Brocard Pierre
Summary
Vigneron Thibaud Brocard is the fifth generation of Champagne Brocard Pierre to work his family vineyards near the village of Celles-sur-Ource in the Seine river valley, known as the Barséquanais area of the Côte des Bar, the southernmost subregion of Champagne. Côte des Bar, located about an hour north of Chablis in the Aube department, is the transition point between Champagne and Burgundy. It was part of Burgundy for centuries until the French Revolution. This cultural association still forms the basis for the region’s winemaking philosophy, as well as its traditions and gastronomic identity. Vineyards are entirely estate-owned and farmed organically with both northern and southern exposures.
Great-great-grandfather George Brocard was the vigneron who founded the family Champagne business in 1932 with vineyards in the Vallée de l’Ource. George was followed by Emile Brocard, Henri Brocard, and then Pierre Brocard, Thibaud’s father, for whom the company is currently named. In 2012, after spending five years apprenticing with some of the most respected names in Burgundy, Thibaud took over the domaine and its 6.5-hectare vineyards.
The wines produced here are handmade, terroir-focused, and possess great transparency and electricity, without the aid of chemicals or the winemaking sleight-of-hand common in the world’s most recognizable wine appellation. Thibaud produces mostly vintage champagnes from single-grape varieties (chardonnay, pinot noir, with a bit of pinot meunier), and vinifies each of his 11 parcels separately. The vibe at Brocard Pierre is a reflection of the winemaker: fresh and young; jovial, but always on-point. He delivers precise, gastronomic Champagnes designed for maximum pleasure at the table with friends, without pretense.
Thibaud works non-oxidatively and notably utilizes nitrogen in the winery to protect his tanks, which helps him keep the use of sulfur dioxide in the winery to the absolute minimum, while preserving fruit and vineyard expression.
