The Lonclas winery in Bassuet has an incredible legacy.
The 10ha winery produces 11 wines from its patchwork of plots with their own unique personalities. The chalky terroir south-east of the designation area is famous for its aromatic Chardonnay, bursting with tropical fruit, citrus and white flowers… just a few of the sources of inspiration that go into making the brand’s premium vintages.
Since its foundation, the brand has stayed true to a sustainable vision to lock in this vibrant heritage and celebrate its commitment to the environment.
It grows its vines sustainably to help take care of mankind and nature.
Half a century after its foundation, the Lonclas winery covers 10ha of vineyards and 11 wines*. The local star is Chardonnay, a grape variety which accounts for most of the harvest. That said, the brand is mindful to bring in new influences from the Vallée de la Marne and Aube. Diversifying is important to the brand, as it’s a way to constantly improve the standard of its wine.
They puts their love and care into the 27 vineyard plots, a third of which contain “vieilles vignes” or “old vines”. Every vine stock is given the attention it needs based on several factors (average age, plot size, exposure, altitude, grape variety, etc.). This unique focus gives teams the peace of mind that they are harvesting raw material with real aromatic potential. The game-changing, plot-specific process was put in place when Champagne B. Lonclas was founded and ensures the brand produces the very finest wine.
*Vitryat : Vitry-en-Perthois, Changy, Vavray-le-Grand, Bassu, Lisse-en-Champagne, St-Amand S/Fion, St-Lumier-en-Champagne, Bassuet | Vallée de la Marne : Leuvrigny | Aube : Neuville /s Seine et Couvignon.
The Lonclas vineyard lies deep in the Vitryat hillsides and has everything it needs to make fine wine. This exotic terroir is a natural extension of the Côte des Blancs and has been a popular destination among connoisseurs for years, right on the tip of the wine designation area. The brand sees its winery as a rough diamond that’s ready to shine. It showcases the incredible aromas produced by the Vitryat subsoil and sets them in stone. The prestige vintages bottle the highly sought-after aromas of citrus, tropical fruit and white flowers.
This modest* terroir is revisiting its glory days on the Côte de Champagne and influenced by two climates: the primarily marine climate brings consistent rainfall and mild year-round temperatures, whilst the continental climate brings sun-drenched summers and sometimes harsh winters.
Its subsoil is a unique combination of limestone and marl from the Cretacean period (90-65 million years ago), when a shallow tropical sea covered the entire Paris area. The heady blend of weather and soil type help the vines thrive and fulfil their aromatic potential.
Every terroir at Champagne Lonclas has its own signature style, whether it be in Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne or Vitryat. The limestone-rich plots in and around Bassuet are popular for the aromatic dimension they give their Chardonnay.
The highest plots stand at an altitude of 200m and contain chalky and lithosol soil. The earthiness gives the wine tropical notes, with the aromas of white flowers and citrus fruit. The lowest plots, at an altitude of 135m, have a marl subsoil and white stone topsoil just 25cm deep. The wine is stronger and has dried fruit notes.
The soft, chalky soil enables it to store water or release it when it needs it (300-400 litres per m3). Its water management capabilities help balance out the fruit acids, sugar and aroma precursors specific to the wine.
The team’s perfect understanding of the vineyard enables Champagne Lonclas to make its wines specific to the plot, to lock in the flavour of the terroir. Years of constantly watching the vineyard have made them real experts and craftspeople.
Champagne B. Lonclas has been championing sustainable and respectful vine growing since it was founded in the mid-70s. The brand is determined to protect biodiversity and take special care of the vines. Everything the winery does has sustainability in mind: mulching, responsible water management, caps on treatments/inputs, sulphur and copper use, consideration and involvement in the future of vineyards are just a few examples of Champagne B. Lonclas’s commitment to the cause.
Hundreds of hours visiting the winery are required to achieve these environmental high standards. Every single plot is inspected several times a month, whatever the weather. Their high-level monitoring enables the teams at Champagne Lonclas to keep track of the vine’s needs.
« Everything we do is for the good of the vine. »
Bernard Lonclas
Helping the environment means looking at the bigger picture: the winery’s terroir, flora and fauna, natural balances, etc. In everyday life, that means managing every last detail of the vineyard.
Customisation is the driving force behind the winery and manifested by in-depth observation (health of the vines, weather, soil analysis) and constant adaptation. Every project is assessed before being rolled out. Thousands of routines are repeated with the utmost care every year.
It’s always quality over quantity at Champagne B. Lonclas. To achieve the right balance, the winery restricts excessive yields and champions a self-regulating vineyard. Despite competition between interspecies and the vines, the winery established cover crops years ago with no human involvement. Pruning reduces the number of buds on each stock to produce better grapes. Not only is it crucial to a good harvest, it’s also essential to securing the future of vine growing and producing fine wine in Champagne.
The world we live in is changing fast. The current climate crisis has given us a great responsibility: we have a duty to protect the planet by growing vines with respect for both mankind and nature.
The entire Lonclas winery has long been devoted to sustainable vine growing so we can continue to make fine wine. Every year, we implement myriad projects to reduce our carbon footprint. The brand is in the process of being certified by two bodies in recognition of its long-term commitment: VDC (Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne) and HVE (High Environmental Value).
Champagne B. Lonclas uses cutting-edge technology to capture its terroir’s personality. The winery’s vat room first opened in 1976 and, like a fine wine, has only got better with time. The teams now work with a next-generation temperature-controlled vat room with a total capacity of 870,000 litres (60 stainless steel vats and a 4200l perpetual reserve vat). It’s an exciting, custom-made system that captures the brand’s living legacy.
Under Bernard’s leadership – the ever-enthusiastic cellar master and protector of the Lonclas signature style -, the tasting committee brings this reserve wine library to life. The passionate group spends days recording, scoring and selecting the wines that will go into the next creation.
Experience Bernard LONCLAS in the heart of the Coteaux Vitryats
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