Alcohol: 12%
Grape(s): Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Localization: Montagne de Reims, Champagne, France
Tasting Notes: The wine shows a pale‑gold hue with fine, persistent mousse, touched by subtle copper glints from its Pinot‑driven blend. The nose opens with ripe pear, yellow apple, and Mirabelle plum, layered over fresh brioche, almond cream, and delicate pastry notes, lifted by citrus zest, white flowers, and a faint chalky minerality from Sacy’s limestone soils. On the palate it is medium‑bodied, rounded, and fruit‑forward, carrying orchard and stone‑fruit tones with a gentle red‑berry echo, supported by a creamy mid‑palate and soft pastry richness. Fresh acidity keeps everything lively, leading to a clean, mineral finish with a touch of salinity. Overall, the style is elegant, approachable, and gastronomic—more supple and fruit‑driven than austere, and a quintessential expression of a Pinot‑Meunier‑led Premier Cru Champagne.
The Domain: Birthplace of Champagne Fresne Ducret, Ville-Dommange has witnessed the journey undertaken many years ago by the first voyagers of the family. For more than a century, successive generations ventured beyond the borders of their forefathers, discovering new frontiers and weaving together what they learned from their explorations with the traditions of their heritage. At the head of the family business since 2007, Pierre Fresne has devoted himself to continuing this family tradition.
The Fresne family can be traced back many generations in the village of Marfaux on the left bank of the Vesle River, and their life’s work was tending grapevines. Adolphe Fresne, born in 1834, was the first in his family to set off on his own. At the age of 16, he decided to leave his parents’ home and seek employment as a vineyard worker in Ville-Dommange. This move became permanent when he married Olive Nachuret, a local girl from a long line of vigerons, and together they started a family. They had four children: Marie-Joseph, Marie-Lucie, Lié-Lucien, and the youngest, Pierre-François, who was affectionately called Onésime.
Onésime, in turn, met and married Marie-Rose Laherte (called Émérentine), whose family had also long been established as winegrowers in Ville-Dommange. They raised three children, Gabrielle, Pierre and Prosper, and the family made its living with their vineyards, selling all of their grapes to the big champagne houses.
Today, it is Michel’s son, Pierre Fresne, who is at the helm of the family domain. Initially, he hadn’t planned to follow in the footsteps of his forefathers; his parents didn’t want him to feel obliged and thus never pushed him in that direction. Instead, he did a bachelor’s degree in English, then moved to England to pursue a career as a language teacher, including a year spent earning a teaching degree at Cambridge University. After three years abroad, though, he missed Champagne and decided to return home. He carried out further training as a winemaker in Avize, then took internships at wineries in Burgundy and New Zealand. It was during the internship in Burgundy that he met his Canadian wife, Daniella, who agreed to make a life with him in Villedommange.
Together, Pierre and Daniella are the embodiment of Champagne Fresne Ducret’s story: at the crossroads of cultures and history. They represent a new generation of winemakers devoted to the future of champagne.
