Lancelot-Courtois
Jean-Paul Lancelot gives the appearance of being just a simple vigneron, a man of the earth, French grower harkening back a couple of generations, which is true. He is, however, the proud owner of 4 hectares of the greatest vines in Champagne — all 4 hectares in Grand Cru villages of Cramant, Avize, Oger, and Chouilly. All his vines are old, though his Cuvée Brut Tradition comprises his two oldest sites. One parcel in Oger, named “Les Monts Chenevaux” was planted in 1953; the other in Grand Cru Chouilly, named "Les Monts Aigous" was planted in 1957 and adjoins one of Moet's principal parcels for Dom Perignon. This cuvée is called “Vieilles Vignes.” The rest of their vines in those four Villages go into the cuvée called “La Croisée des Terroirs” (crossing of the terroirs). On top of this, Jean-Paul's yields are very, very low for Champagne, a fact which tends to result in unforgettable wines. And to make the traditional picture complete, Sylvie, Jean-Paul's wife, handles all the business side.
