Francis Boulard

In 2009, Raymond Boulard's three children decided to follow their own professional paths. The Raymond Boulard Champagne House ceased to exist therefore. Francis Boulard, his wife Jeanne and daughter Delphine started the house called Champagne Francis Boulard & Fille. For many years, Francis Boulard pushed the Raymond Boulard family estate towards organic methods; hence it is that some of their parcels were already converted and certified to be organic. With his daughter Delphine, he can now take this movement towards the most natural champagne wines possible to its logical conclusion. Their goal is to see the whole estate certified organic.

Francis Boulard and his daughter Delphine belong to a family of winegrowing winemakers for 6 generations... doubtless more. The oldest member of the family who could be traced was born during the French Revolution in 1792. Francis Boulard's first contact with wines came about thanks to his grandfather, Julian: at 14, the young Francis was given permission to hold the handles of the plough behind Bijou the horse, a sturdy Ardennes horse. His grandfather was in fact one of the last to resist the galloping mechanisation which followed the end of WW II, still using a horse to plough his 2 hectares (5 acres) of vines.

Julien Boulard sold his still wines to champagne houses. It was his son, Raymond Boulard who decided to vinify and bottle champagne in 1952. In the 70s, the young Francis joined the company Boulard Frères and very soon afterwards (1975) was made responsible for vinification. The champagne house Raymond Boulard & Fils was founded in 1980. After the death of their father, his three children continued running the family estate together. Francis Boulard, while still continuing with the vinification, became ever increasingly interested in viticulture. Wanting to move towards vines that were grown as naturally as possible, he pushed the estate towards organic methods, resulting in the conversion in the 2000s of a proportion of the vineyards towards organic agriculture.

The estate's orientation towards organic cultivation goes back several years. Wanting to make Champagne wines of character and as natural as possible, a goodly proportion of the vines in Cormicy have been cultivated without weedkillers or synthetic chemicals since 2001. This conversion has been controlled by Ecocert since 2004. Since then, they have been cultivated biodynamically (see below) and certified by Ecocert. Now that the Francis Boulard & Fille Estate is well established, the objective, naturally enough, is to see 100% of the estate certified as cultivated organically and the conversion of those which are not yet certified was immediately set in motion

Biodynamics allows a greater complexity of the wines to be achieved, and encourages an attractive minerality to appear in Champagne wines. It goes without saying that biodynamics (like organic cultivation) allows all the negative effects of the use of synthetic chemicals on the environment and health to be avoided.

The lunar calendar illuminates the best moment to work on the vines For Francis Boulard, it reminds him of his grandfather who often spoke to him of the influence of the moon on planting or on working the soil. In the time of his grandfather and great-grandfather, cultivation was thus closer to nature and the rhythm of the seasons.

The vines are pruned short, in order to control yield, thereby producing better grapes. Green harvesting (removing unwanted bunches produced over the summer) is therefore rarely carried out. The majority of the vineyards, about two thirds, are planted using "massal selection".

The vineyards are ploughed 4 to 6 times a year, in the autumn after the harvest, in the spring and on up to July. These light ploughings facilitate the control of their natural weed cover.

This natural weed cover encourages the soil to live and avoids erosion. To fight against fungal attacks, the vines are protected, in addition to the use of sulphur and Bordeaux mixture, by the use of biodynamic preparations based on field horsetail, water willow or osier, willow, nettles, valerian and silica

The harvest is timed to give the highest possible natural sugar, without worrying about acidity, as long as the grapes remain healthy. Francis Boulard's father often repeated to him. “We make the best wines from grapes with the highest natural sugar, over 10% potential.”

The grapes are pressed immediately after being harvested. Pressing is carried out in a membrane press holding 2 tonnes. This gives a fine and delicate pressing, and precise control over the juice extracted. Francis Boulard is adept at comparative vinification of individual plots. The goal is to obtain the greatest possible complexity in his wines. That is the reason that the grapes from different plots, terroirs and varieties are kept separate right from the moment that they are pressed. The musts receive very low doses of sulphite, in order to preserve their fruit and allow fermentation to start quickly.

Vinification is as non interventionist as it is possible to be, which demands very regular and careful attention. Alcoholic fermentation starts spontaneously, thanks to the action of indigenous yeasts (those to be found naturally present on the grapes skin).

Alcoholic and malo-lactic fermentation takes place in 20 hectolitre (530 US gallon) wooden vats, in half hogsheads containing 5 or 6 hectolitres (130 to 160 US gallon) or in 300 litre oak barrels (228 litres for burgundian barrels and 205 litres for champagne casks). These are old barrels, with an average age of 12 years, which allow some moderate oxygenation to take place, in order that supple rounded wines can be obtained, while retaining good mineral framework. By allowing many combinations to be possible, these different size containers allow each variety and plot to be worked individually.

The wines are vinified on their fine lees, with batonnage every 10 to 12 days, to augment complexity and take advantage of all the potential richness of the must. This process (batonnage) of returning matter deposited on the bottom of the barrels into suspension takes place on “fruit days” and “flower days” of the lunar calendar. Its frequency depends upon the character of the vintage.

Bottling and disgorging take place at the estate. For several years now, Francis Boulard has been offering some of his wines in dosed and non dosed versions. The description “Brut Nature” (also called "zero dosage") means that no sugar was added. The terroir and minerality of wines from Champagne are better shown off in the absence of dosage and this only improves the possibilities of making a wider range of good matches with food.

2015 Bettane and Desseauve Wine Guide

Ranked 3-star

"Since 2009 Francis Boulard's daughter Delphine has been working with him and they have been free to make the wine they want on about 3 hectares (7½ acres) with a lovely grand cru parcel at Mailly and other equally excellent parcels in the nearby Reims hills, all entirely cultivated with respect for soil, plants and the environment."

Les Murgiers extra-brut: 17.5 /20 - Editor's Choice

"Both vinous and spicey, this champagne made from 70% Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir shows good depth and an attractively tasty and savoury finish."

Vieilles Vignes: 16 /20

"This 2010 vintage from the "Le Murtet" parcel is keen edged, pure and mineral, over citrus scents and with an attractive salty finish."

Mailly Grand Cru: 17 /20 (extra-brut).

"We always come back to this champagne with as much pleasure as before. Both vinous and subtle, it has an elegant purity from the very first mouthful."

Petraea XCVII-MMVI: 16 /20

"Toasty nose with hints of yellow fruit, mouthfilling, with fine supporting balance."

Les Rachais 2007: 16.5 /20

"A noble wheaty nose, a deliciously elegant mousse, airy yet sappy, strict without being austere, ripe and yet fresh, in short it succeeds in squaring the circle of fine champagne."