Vigneron Thibaud Brocard is the fifth generation of Champagne Brocard Pierre to work his family vineyards near the village of Celles-sur-Ource in the Seine river valley, known as the Barséquanais area of the Côte des Bar, the southernmost subregion of Champagne. Thibaud uses organic, biodynamic, and regenerative farming practices in the vineyards, which are integrated and in harmony with the biologically diverse, forested environment of Côte des Bar. He transitioned the Brocard Pierre vineyards to organic farming upon his return to the estate in 2012. He does not use any synthetic chemical products in the vineyard, and mildew is carefully managed with tiny doses of copper, as he is sensitive to its overuse. Brocard Pierre’s vineyards have been glyphosate-free for more than 20 years.
In the cellar, Thibaud employs a soft touch and prefers to vinify in stainless steel over oak barrels, as he feels it better preserves each parcel’s terroir and vineyard expression. Grapes are handpicked and sorted in the vineyard before being crushed very gently in a beautiful vertical Coquard press. Free-run juice goes into cement tanks for a cold soak on the gross lees for 24 hours before fermentation with native yeasts, exclusively for primary fermentation, as he feels that each yeast gives the wine the profile of the vineyard. Thibaud works non-oxidatively, and he notably utilizes nitrogen in the winery to protect his tanks and solera, which helps him keep the use of sulfur dioxide in the winery to the absolute minimum while preserving fruit and vineyard expression. This practice deserves mention and merit, as it is a tool that helps him achieve his goal of producing delicious wines for maximum enjoyment, made without faults or defects. His Champagnes have very little-to-no sulfur added, with an average of 18-32 mg/l of total SO2, depending on vintage and what his native yeasts give. Champagne Brocard Pierre is unfiltered and bottled without cold stabilization, using bentonite for a gentle fining.
Thibaud prefers long-aging on the lees in bottle (three to five years), as well as an average of nine months of post-disgorgement aging in bottle to allow his wines the proper time to integrate before release. Brocard Pierre’s entry-level and only blended-grape expression, Cuvée Tradition Brut d’Assemblage, spends three years on the lees in bottle before release, giving it one of the best quality-to-value ratios in the world of Champagne. The heart of his production is his mono-varietal, single-vintage wines from pinot noir and chardonnay, which are released after five years on the lees in bottle. The resulting wines have great complexity and definition, with incredibly long-finishes designed to elevate food pairings. The combination of these elements and more further reflect Thibaud’s deep respect for his customers and terroir, making him one of the brightest rising stars of the Champagne region.
