Michel Arnould & Fils Réserve, Brut Champagne, Grand Cru Verzenay

A family owned and run company comprising 12 hectares of hillside vineyards all in the Grand Cru of Verzenay. All the grapes come from their own vines and none are bought in from outside.

The very oldest vines were planted in 1950 however the overall average vine age is 35 years. 80% of plantings are Pinot Noir trained on the ‘Cordon de Royat’ system and 20% Chardonnay trained on the ‘Chablis’ system. The estate’s history dates back to the end of the nineteenth century under the stewardship of the Lefevre family when grapes were grown and sold on to the top Champagne houses in Verzenay. In the early 1930s Henri Lefevre took the next step and made his first champagne. His son André increased production, after purchasing a tank and a ‘Coquard’ press, and started selling all across France. The marriage of André’s grand-daughter Françoise in 1960 to Michel Arnould marked the birth of Michel Arnould Champagne as we know it today. Their first Champagne was produced in 1961 and in 1972 they started exporting to England. Their production now exceeds 70,000 bottles, of which 40% is exported. Today Michel’s son Patrick Arnould and son-in-law Thierry are at the helm, and will in time hand over to their own children who are the sixth generation of the original Lefevre family.