Bernard Lonclas always had the mindset that if he worked hard enough, his dreams would come true. His dream was to make his name in champagne, so he founded his namesake brand in 1976. Fuelled by its core values, independence and high standards, Champagne Bernard Lonclas has had a meteoric rise in just 50 years.
Bernard Lonclas has never followed the crowd and has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. The understated, pioneering and brave man whose only limit is his imagination. The farmer’s son was born on February 27th 1957 in the capital of “Perthois”, Vitry-le-François (51). He spent his childhood with his brothers and sisters in the village of Bassuet.
His life growing up was set against the seasons, harvests and farmwork. He loved country life and got involved in the farm when he was little. When he wasn’t at his desk in school, Bernard would help his father in the fields. He was driving the family tractor and sowing seeds when he was just 11.
Bernard’s entrepreneurial spirit awoke in him at a very early age. When his teacher asked what he wanted to do when he was older, he knew just what to say: a winemaker. It was more than a job, and his passion for the world of wine never left him.
« If anyone tells me I can't do it, I go all out to prove them wrong. »
Bernard Lonclas
Bernard learnt from the best to make his dream a reality. He spent two years at a viticulture college learning the world-renowned knowledge he would need to thrive in the industry. It was a busy time with lessons, apprenticeships and nights out with his friends in the vineyard.
Visionary Bernard has always led from the front. Fiercely independent and brimming with the courage of youth, he ignored the time-honoured traditions the old hats were trying to force onto him. He felt different to the others, and he didn’t care what they thought.
When he was 17, he set himself the challenge of creating a winery to match his ambitions. The young man set his sights on any plot of land that he could turn into vineyards. He bought his first plot of land on March 31st 1974: La Touaille, a 5500m2 Chardonnay plot on the south-east hillsides of Bassuet. The first stones of Maison B. Lonclas had officially been laid.
From the very start, Bernard Lonclas wanted to produce refined and elegant champagne which only he knew how to make. He needed the right infrastructures and equipment to make his signature wine. He set up vats in one of the hangars in the village cooperative in 1976. He spent two years pressing and making his first harvests into wine before he could fit out his own premises.
He moved into his parents’ farm and renovated the barns in 1978, setting up a traditional press with a crank handle and two vats in what was once the family stable.
One year later, the young entrepreneur began a new chapter and officially launched his namesake brand: Champagne Bernard Lonclas. He launched his first vintage when he married Line: a Blanc de Blancs from the Les Touailles plot in Bassuet. Sales soared and the 3300 bottles flew out of the winery.
« It was hard work, but it was all worth it. »
With his first success under his belt, Bernard Lonclas was focused on forging his own path. He and his wife embarked on a long-term expansion project for the champagne brand to gain independence. They started by buying new plots, growing the vineyard from 8800m2 to 2 hectares. Bernard wanted to be sure he had the space to match his ambitions.
In the early 80s, he bought land and began building new infrastructures: storerooms, cellar, press rooms, a house and more. Work came to an end in 1985 when they moved into the winery and began marketing a second product: a Rosé Brut. Line, his wife, played an active role in building the brand and welcomed the first customers to the cellar. Sales soared in 1986, hitting 10,000 bottles a year.
Despite his incredible success, Bernard Lonclas always dreamt bigger. He used his expertise to help fund his plans. With just one wine press, he built a business pressing grapes for local winemakers. To keep up with the harvests, his teams worked day and night and almost pushed the equipment to breaking point. The businessman spent almost a decade expanding, taking it from a modest 4000kg capacity to three wine presses in 1998.
« When you have a dream, grab it and never let go. »
The 2000s saw the dawn of a new era for the champagne brand. Several major projects got under way at the winery: a new tasting cellar was built, temperature-controlled vats were installed, the vineyard expanded, wine tourism grew and so much more. The brand’s tireless focus on growth and improvement helped gain new markets. Sales in France exceeded the 4000-bottle mark in 2006.
Bernard explored other opportunities in the vineyard to meet growing demand from clients. He spent almost a decade buying plots until he reached his benchmark: 8 hectares.
Now, it was time he had a loyal and reliable team to take care of the work. Aurélie officially joined the family business as manager in 2006. She helped her mother with customer service alongside her managerial duties.
Fuelled by their success, the Lonclas family only wanted one thing: to continue forging its way from where it all began over 30 years ago. Together, they set themselves the target of producing over 200,000 bottles. A feat in itself. Figures like that meant the wine cellar would need an extension, so work got under way. The brand reached the 100,000 bottle-mark in annual sales in 2014.
« Now I have a well-oiled machine, I can pass over the reins of my life's work. »
Champagne B. Lonclas has become a roaring success in the space of just fifty years. It’s a family and entrepreneurial success story written by one brave man. After over 40 years running the show, Bernard has now decided to hand over the reins. It’s a golden opportunity to pass the torch onto his two daughters, Aurélie and Mathilde Lonclas. The pair have the same entrepreneurial spirit and drive to push the boundaries and introduce the world to Lonclas champagne.
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