HERITAGE

1942. Roland Champion, a young man of sixteen, takes over from his father André at the head of the family estate. His mother, Simone, has been widowed and must raise her three children alone. For the first time in the history of this long-established Chouilly family, they decide together to vinify their own grapes. They produce their Champagne under the name Champagne André Champion.

This is the preamble to our story, for Roland is only taking his first steps and still has the secrets of the craft to learn. He is fortunate enough to be trained by one of the finest cellar masters of a prestigious Champagne House, Monsieur Bony. Out of friendship for his father, Monsieur Bony passes on to him the rigour, the precision and the know-how essential to crafting a great Champagne.

François grew up with a conviction inherited from his father, Roland: family values are lived and handed down. In turn, he shared them with his own children. To his daughters, Carole and Clémence, he passed on not only a craft, but a genuine passion for what he proudly calls “the finest profession in the world”.

In 2005, Roland’s passing marks a turning point. François finds himself alone at the head of the House. His wife and his mother support him day to day, taking charge of administration and sales, allowing him to devote himself fully to the work of the vine and the wine.

Between 2008 and 2010, after studies that took them from Champagne to North America, Carole and Clémence return to their home soil. Destined to come back, they find in the village an eternal rallying point for the family. In 2012, Vincent, the second son of Roland and Jacqueline, joins the business in turn.

Together, they join the family adventure, determined to bring a new breath and to root this family transmission for many years to come.

Today, the House continues its family story under the impetus of Carole and Clémence, alongside Vincent and his children, Ambroise and Astrid. Passionate winegrowers and ambassadors of the brand, all are united by the same attachment to the terroir and work every day to bring the estate to prominence in France and abroad. Together, the family heritage is passed on, reinvented and keeps on growing, remaining deeply “rooted in Chouilly”.