Why it matters
The producer
Marie-Laure Copinet shapes the values and spirit of the estate, while Alexandre works among the vines and in the winery. That division gives the house a clear human scale: the philosophy is carried through the cellar by the person who farms and makes the wine.
Champagne Marie Copinet places itself within the Vignerons Indépendants tradition, with an eco-friendly approach and a stated connection to terroir. In the bottles, that position becomes practical. Fermentation is allowed to proceed with native yeasts, the wines remain on their lees, dosage stays low, and bottle élevage continues before release. The wines therefore keep more of their fruit, saline character and cellar-grown texture in view.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Champagne is the fixed geographical frame, with the Côte de Sézanne as the more specific regional setting attached to the estate. No village or named parcel is established for these bottles, so the place story is carried through grape, geology and cellar choices.
Nos pas dans la Pierre puts Pinot Noir and Brut Nature on the front label, identifying a dark-grape Champagne with no added dosage. La Ruelle des Loups is labelled Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, with the primary composition recorded as 60 percent Pinot Meunier and 40 percent Pinot Noir. A 100 percent Meunier version is also listed for a different bottling, so the individual label remains important.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Wild fermentation lets the wine develop without a standardised yeast flavour, while extended lees ageing adds creamy weight and carries energy through the palate. Minimal dosage leaves the wines dry, so fruit, acidity and mineral character remain exposed instead of being softened by sweetness.
La Ruelle des Loups receives one year in wooden barrels, then at least 15 months of bottle maturation under cork. The barrel period supports its full-bodied feel, while the time under cork allows lemon peel, red fruit, earthy notes and small bitter flavours to remain connected through the finish.
Wines to know
The range in view
Nos pas dans la Pierre is a Pinot Noir Brut Nature. It occupies the range's ripe, muscular side, with parsley, thyme, tobacco and hops leading into grapefruit and tropical fruit. Its creamy palate carries chalky minerality, salinity and a faint liquorice bitterness. The combination makes the wine broader than a simple citrus-driven Champagne while keeping the finish dry.
La Ruelle des Loups is a Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, primarily referenced as 60 percent Pinot Meunier and 40 percent Pinot Noir. It brings yellow lemon peel, Golden apple and honeysuckle, then adds strawberry, redcurrant and reinette apple. Its year in wood and subsequent bottle maturation place it in a fuller, more layered range position, with roots, foliage and crushed fruit appearing as the wine opens.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Start with La Ruelle des Loups Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut. The primary bottling reference is 60 percent Pinot Meunier and 40 percent Pinot Noir, followed by one year in wooden barrels and at least 15 months under cork. In the glass, lemon peel, Golden apple and honeysuckle meet strawberry and redcurrant, then move towards roots, foliage and crushed fruit as the wine warms. Its saline frame and persistent bitter finish make the cellar choices easy to taste. It is the first bottle to open when you want the producer's grape range, low dosage and long maturation in one glass.