De Castellane

The Viscount Florens de Castellane, heir of one of the oldest families in France, established his Champagne house in Epernay.

Visionary and resolute to promote his brand to the eyes of the world, he chose as his logo the red "Saint-Andrews" cross as a tribute to the standard of the oldest regiment in the Champagne region. Boni de Castellane, cousin of the Visount, is in charge of the distribution in Paris and rapidly makes it the champagne of choice for the Parisian "Smart-Set" during the Belle-Epoque period. In theaters, upper restaurants, de Castellane is poured in the most trendy places...

In 1902, the House de Castellane asked the famous Italian painter Leonetto Cappiello to design its first "advertising poster". Since then de Castellane has developed a real patronage of poster art with an incredible collection of paintings and posters.

Directed by Fernand Mérand, the "Union Champenoise" acquired de Castellane and integrate it in its imposing buildings located on the famous "Avenue de Champagne". The brand de Castellane  is preserved. Thanks to its prestige and great notoriety, the "Union Champenoise" company is finally renamed to "Champagne de Castellane".

Alexandre Mérand, son of Fernand, who owned his champagne house, bought de Castellane in 1927. Not only focused on the French market but also the world, he started to export de Castellane all around : London, Brussels, Berlin, Stockholm, New-York, Alexandria, Sydney... de Castellane was now in the biggest cities in the world. The early death of Alexandre Mérand obliged his family to take-over the  company, under the direction of his daugther Claude Mérand, married to Bernard de Nonancourt, owner and Director of Champagne Laurent-Perrier. de Castellane entered the Laurent-Perrier group and is still owned and managed by the Nonancourt's family.

The elaboration of quality and consistent champagnes requires a patient, precise and meticulous hand. Therefore, all harvesting is carried out by hand in order to preserve each grape up to pressuring. The character of the grapes from each village or cru is then preserved by individual vinifaction of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in specially adapated vats. Fermentation takes place at low temperatures to emphasize the elegance and aromatic complexity of each variety and cru. A meticulous selection, orchestrated by the cellar master, brings together all of the different wines into one harmoinous blend, encapsulating the "de Castellane

Deep in the cool humidity of our 6 kilometres of chalk-cellars, the bottles mature over a period of years, a process which allows the wine to develop its structure, to gain aromatic qualities and colour and to produce a fine, lively mousse. The winemakers will follow the evolution of each wine with regular tastings and with tests carried out by the quality control laboratory. They can therefore closely monitor the maturity of the wine and chose the right time for fining and ridling.The cellar master can add a final touch to the wines with the dosage liqueur, which contributes to the consistency and character of each champagne of the de Castellane range.

Through the art of blending, de Castellane is chasing only the best characteristics of each grape variety...

Chardonnay brings a great finesse to the wine. It reveals citrus and white flowers aromas in its youth and leading to fresh butter and honey notes with ageing. It is a grape that requires some time to develop its more complex notes, but shows an exceptional potential of ageing that justify its high proportion in the de Castellane champagne range. Pinoir, appreciated for its structure and its powerful, well-ageing aromas, gives to the de Castellane elegant and red-fruit marked notes. Pinot Meunier early reveals fruity notes and roundness that rapidly brings richness and freshness to the non-vintage champagnes of the House.