Dhondt Grellet

Champagne Dhondt-Grellet, founded in 1986 by Eric Dhondt and Edith Grellet, emerged when they stopped selling their grapes to négociants to craft their own wines. Based in the Côte des Blancs, the domaine initially spanned two hectares and has since tripled in size. The turning point came in 2012 when their son, Adrien, took over winemaking at just 22. Now joined by his sister Alice, he has expanded their range by isolating specific terroirs in Cramant and Cuis, producing pure expressions of Chardonnay.

Adrien follows a meticulous, terroir-driven philosophy, farming organically and biodynamically without seeking certification, a method he calls "peasant farming." His vineyards are plowed manually, compost is made at the domaine, and no herbicides or insecticides are used. In 2021, he introduced horse-drawn plowing with his horse, Thor.

Adrien’s cellar practices emphasize barrel fermentation, primarily in Burgundy barrels from Damy and François Frère, while only his entry-level cuvée, Dans Un Premier Temps, is fermented in stainless steel. He relies on native yeasts for fermentation, allowing malolactic fermentation to occur naturally, with minimal sulfur usage to preserve the wine’s purity.