Presentation
Born from the union of two historic winemaking families, Champagne Collard-Picard is the fruit of Olivier Collard and Caroline Picard’s shared passion for excellence. The estate brings together tradition and innovation to craft expressive champagnes with strong character. The vineyards, spanning the Marne Valley and the Côte des Blancs, benefit from diverse terroirs suited to Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Eschewing chemical fertilizers and herbicides, the estate uses natural practices to promote soil health and vine vitality. In the cellar, traditional barrel fermentation is preferred over stainless steel, lending depth, structure, and a rich aromatic profile to the wines. The resulting champagnes are elegant and complex, offering notes of dried fruits, brioche, and a fine mineral backbone that speak to the house’s authenticity and savoir-faire.
Location
The Archives cuvée from Maison Collard-Picard embodies the legacy of two great Champagne families, blending tradition and modernity. It is crafted from meticulously selected plots located between the Côte des Blas, the Vitryat area, Mesnil-sur-Oger, and the right bank of the Marne Valley. This cuvée reflects the multifaceted identity of the Champagne region.
Terroir
Champagne Collard Picard Archives Extra Brut expresses the character of emblematic Champagne terroirs, spanning the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs. The deep, well-drained clay-limestone soils provide an ideal foundation for precision viticulture, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. Limestone brings tension, purity, and minerality, while clay contributes depth and structure. This geological combination allows for a refined interpretation of terroir and gives the cuvée a high level of purity. The choice of an Extra Brut style perfectly highlights this identity, allowing the soil and grape variety to express themselves authentically, with no artifice—striking a delicate balance between freshness and complexity.
In the vineyard
At Champagne Collard-Picard, the approach to soil work focuses on preserving the health and well-being of the vines while respecting their natural balance. The methods include light pruning, shredding vine shoots, tying the canes, and shallow soil preparation beneath the vine rows. These stages are crucial for organizing the next harvest while maintaining the plant’s equilibrium. Vine health is also monitored using sustainable, reasoned approaches to disease control, while canopy lifting and trellising ensure optimal aeration of the grapes and support their balanced ripening.
Harvest
The harvest at the Collard Picard estate is a key moment in the year, marked by meticulous care and rigorous selection of the grapes. Located in the Champagne region, the estate benefits from an exceptional terroir where each bunch is harvested by hand, in accordance with tradition and respect for the environment. The winegrowers ensure that each grape variety, whether Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Pinot Meunier, reaches perfect maturity before being picked, in order to guarantee wines that are both balanced and expressive. This meticulous harvesting process is essential to the quality and finesse of the champagnes produced by the estate, revealing all the richness and diversity of the Champagne terroir.
Winemaking
The vinification process combines ancestral savoir-faire with modern techniques. Alcoholic fermentation is carried out in large oak foudres using indigenous yeasts, allowing for a natural expression of the terroir. Temperature-controlled vats ensure precise fermentation management. This approach gives the wine a complex structure and excellent aging potential.
Ageing
The wine is aged on fine lees in oak foudres for 12 to 15 months, developing a silky texture and aromatic richness. It then undergoes further aging in cellar for a minimum of 4 years, resulting in a fine, persistent mousse and harmonious mouthfeel. Disgorgement is done without dosage, embracing an Extra Brut — even Brut Nature — style that emphasizes the wine’s purity.
Varietal
Pinot meunier : 100%
Specifications
Production volume : 9 000
Serving
Serve between 7°C and 10°C (45°F to 50°F), preferably in white wine glasses to fully express its aromas.
Ageing potential
5 to 10 years
Tasting
Pale golden color with brilliant reflections and a fine, consistent effervescence.
Expressive and elegant aromas of fresh citrus, white flowers, dried fruits, and delicate brioche notes from the lees aging.
Lively and tense on the attack. The wine reveals a beautiful minerality supported by sharp, precise acidity. The Meunier grape brings a fruity texture that balances the wine’s structure. The finish is long, saline, and mouthwatering, with notes of chalk and citrus zest.
Food pairings
With its marked tension, precise aromatics, and very low dosage, Archives Extra Brut pairs beautifully with refined, minimalist cuisine. It is an ideal match for fine de claire oysters or scallop carpaccio, where its minerality mirrors the dishes’ freshness and salinity. As a main course, it elevates a steamed sea bass with lemon beurre blanc, where its vibrancy balances the fish’s delicate texture. On the sweet side, it forms a refined, unexpected pairing with a lightly sweetened lemon tart, where controlled acidity prolongs the wine’s freshness without overpowering it. These combinations highlight the wine’s linear structure, elegance, and depth.
