History
Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Rose-Adélaïde Jouët shared the same passion for nature and the arts. She was a cultured young woman from a Normandy merchant family; he was a distinguished winegrower and botanist. In 1811, a year after their marriage, they founded Maison Perrier-Jouët to fulfil their wish to create a different kind of Champagne house.
The founders' passion for art, nature and Champagne has been handed down from generation to generation. A botanist like his father, their son Charles Perrier took over the house in 1848. The family philosophy, which favours creativity and an unconventional way of observing nature, is inseparable from the history of Champagne. Today these values continue to shape and define Maison Perrier-Jouët.
Regenerative viticulture
In the vineyards, following the principles of regenerative viticulture, loose soils allow roots to spread, while cover crops promote fertility and drainage for optimal water uptake. Beehives, low walls and the trees around the vineyard are sources of life, letting wildlife nest and move in complete safety and enriching biodiversity season after season.
It is in the French region of Champagne that the vines grow that will produce Champagne.
Combining chalky soil, a climate with both oceanic and continental influences, and hilly terrain, its terroir offers ideal growing conditions for the appellation's different grape varieties.
Chardonnay, Perrier-Jouët's signature grape, thrives especially well here. Drawing on the chalk to develop minerality, freshness and acidity, it expresses floral notes of great finesse in the House's different cuvées.
Picked by hand at perfect ripeness and gently pressed as close as possible to the vineyard, the grapes are taken to the House cellars in Épernay. There the freshly pressed juice undergoes its first fermentation and becomes what is called a vin clair (base wine).
Ageing
Perrier-Jouët Champagnes age for 3 or 4 years in the cellars, an essential maturation period that allows the aromas of each cuvée to blossom. Vintage Champagnes wait up to 8 years before revealing their floral, complex flavours. This ageing is essential for Perrier-Jouët and far exceeds the appellation's requirements.
