Why it matters
The producer
Champagne Michel Fagot is an independent winegrower based in Rilly-la-Montagne. Olivier Fagot embodies the fourth generation, with advice from biodynamic consultant Jacques Mell. The house combines biodynamic vineyard cultivation with cellar methods that include oak, stainless steel, lees ageing and solera.
Since 2018, oenologist Audrey has combined ancestral methods with modern techniques. The cellar uses methods from barrel to stainless steel, from yeast sediment to a solera system.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Rilly-la-Montagne is a Premier Cru village in the Montagne de Reims. The estate's vineyards in Rilly-la-Montagne and Villers-Allerand lie within that sub-region, while further holdings in Hermonville and Trigny sit in the Saint Thierry Massif.
The range therefore draws on two Champagne areas with separate village addresses. Brut Tradition carries the Montagne de Reims as its origin, while the wider vineyard holdings bring Saint Thierry Massif into the estate's work.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The estate's vineyard page lists 15 hectares and 38 plots, 20 of them Premier Cru. The producer uses neither herbicides nor insecticides and cultivates its vines using biodynamic principles.
Audrey has worked as the estate's oenologist since 2018. Depending on the wine, maturation takes place in oak barrels, stainless steel vats, on lees or in a solera. Lees ageing keeps the wine with its yeast sediment, a method that can add creaminess and texture. A solera combines wines from different stages of ageing, building continuity through successive additions.
Wines to know
The range in view
Brut Tradition, also named La Grande Tradition, is the house's emblematic non-vintage blend. The separate vintage tier includes Michel Fagot Brut Millésime. Non-vintage brut wines are cellared for three years, while vintage wines receive at least eight years, separating the shorter held non-vintage release from the longer aged vintage wines.
La Grande Tradition opens with candied red and black fruit, spices, ripe wheat, stone fruit and crème brûlée. The palate is creamy, round and ample, with freshness and a distinctly acidic finish.