Benoit Michel
Many Champagne producers speak of patience. Benoit Michel, based in the village of Monthelon just south of Epernay, has inherited this as his way of working. His father, Guy Michel, concluded back in 1959 that allowing Champagne to age with its lees for several years would produce a superior wine, and this method of long-term aging continues to be a family tradition to this day.
Benoît is the fifth-generation descendant of a family that has cultivated vineyards in Champagne since 1847. After taking charge of winemaking at Maison Guy Michel in 2004, he launched his own brand, producing wines by vineyard parcel and using both tanks and oak barrels.
The vines are spread across three sections of the Champagne vineyard, have an average age of about 40 years, and are cultivated in accordance with the HVE and VDC environmental certification standards.
From 1847 to a label of his own
The Michel family's first grapevines date back to 1847, making it one of the oldest grape-growing families in Champagne. It was not until later, in the early 20th century, that the family began bottling Champagne wines themselves; in the early days, they focused on growing grapes rather than selling bottled wine.
One remnant of those early days is still in production today. Benoit Michel cultivates the vineyard in the lieu-dit Les Chardeloups, which his great-grandfather purchased in the early 1900s.
A turning point for this modern house came in 1959, when Guy Michel began focusing on cellar aging. His belief was simple: Champagne aged on the lees for several years exhibits greater potential than champagne released early. Thanks to this belief, the brand is closely associated with old vintages, yet few other producers hold sufficient stock to offer them.
Benoît learned the trade working alongside his father. In 2004, he took over winemaking at Maison Guy Michel, and later established his own brand, introducing oak barrel fermentation and single-vineyard cuvées. He added a touch of bold experimentation to the same winemaking philosophy that had been passed down through five generations.
The vineyards
Benoit Michel's holdings are not concentrated in a single block. These vineyards are scattered across three distinct areas, Côteaux Sud d'Epernay, Vallée de la Marne, and Côte des Blancs, each with significantly different characteristics, allowing him to combine them like a mosaic for blending or to bottle them separately.
Here, the age of the vines is crucial. The average age is about 40 years, and older vines produce fewer berries, and that is precisely the point. In other words, the focus is on the intensity of the aroma rather than quantity.
Since 2019, this winery has been certified under Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE, a French environmental farming standard) and Viticulture Durable en Champagne (VDC, a sustainability certification system unique to this region). In the vineyards, these practices manifest as grass cover between rows of vines, working of the soil, and an overall reduction in inputs. Additionally, Benoit Michel participates in activities to promote Champagne hillside areas and protect biodiversity within the vineyards.
The three classic grape varieties
Although seven grape varieties are permitted in Champagne, almost all of the region's wines are made from just three of them. At Benoit Michel, those very three varieties are grown:
- Chardonnay: A white grape variety, primarily grown in the Côte des Blancs
- Pinot Noir
- The primary varieties in the Pinot Meunier and Marne Valley regions
Blending ratios vary by cuvée, and since the wines are vinified separately by vineyard parcel, the blend is determined after fermentation is complete, rather than at the pressing stage.
The winemaking
At the winery, Benoit Michel processes each lot separately rather than combining all the grapes from the start to create a house blend. He also introduced oak barrel aging, a method not previously part of the Guy Michel process, into the family-run operation.
What follows is a time-consuming process. Once bottled, the wine ages for several years alongside its sediment, following the method established by Guy Michel in 1959; this winery is known as one of the few able to bring truly aged vintage champagnes to market.
The wines
Benoit Michel is a récoltant-manipulant, a producer who personally crafts and bottles Champagne using their own grapes, and this is fully reflected in their product lineup. In other words, rather than focusing on a single large-scale non-vintage brand, the winery primarily offers wines labeled with specific vineyard lots and vintages.
Collection Millesime Extra Brut is the vintage line. Extra Brut indicates that the dosage is kept to a minimum; since less sugar is added in the final stage, it tastes drier than a standard Brut, and its texture is enhanced through fruit flavors and lees aging. By definition, vintage refers to a single year, and grapes from multiple harvest years are not blended.
Alongside this, there are other cuvées produced from the three regions he cultivates, including not only wines bottled from specific plots but also older vintage wines for which this winery is well known.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Benoit Michel based?
In Monthelon, a village on the Côteaux Sud d'Epernay, in the Marne department of Champagne.
Is Benoit Michel a grower champagne?
Yes. He is a récoltant-manipulant, meaning he grows the grapes and makes the champagne himself, as opposed to the big houses that buy in most of their fruit.
What is the connection with Guy Michel?
Guy Michel is Benoit's father. Benoit took charge of the vinifications at Maison Guy Michel in 2004 and later created his own label, carrying over the long lees-ageing approach his father started in 1959.
What is the house best known for?
Old vintages. Few growers hold back enough stock to release aged bottles, and Benoit Michel is among the ones who can.
