Why it matters
The producer
The cellar of Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte is located in Chouilly, and the brand operates as a cooperative of winegrowers. Its range includes Organic Extra Brut alongside Premier Cru and prestige cuvées, giving the portfolio several levels of dryness and vineyard classification.
By 2014, Nicolas Feuillatte had surpassed 10 million bottles sold annually. The cooperative model remains central to the brand, while the wines move from accessible dry Champagne to Palmes d'Or bottlings with a high proportion of Grand Cru fruit.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Chouilly is the village where the Nicolas Feuillatte cellar is located. The range also uses Champagne's vineyard classifications: Réserve Exclusive carries the Premier Cru designation, while Palmes d'Or Brut is nearly 95% Grands Crus, divided equally between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Premier Cru and Grand Cru are classified vineyard levels in Champagne. Grand Cru is the higher classification, so the wording on the Palmes d'Or label signals a different position from the Premier Cru Réserve Exclusive.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Winegrowers sit at the base of the Nicolas Feuillatte model because the producer operates as a cooperative. The portfolio also includes Organic Extra Brut, showing that organic farming is represented among the brand's cuvées.
Extra Brut is a dry Champagne style, with little added sugar after disgorgement. The term describes the finished wine's dosage category, while Organic identifies the farming approach attached to that cuvée.
Wines to know
The range in view
Réserve Exclusive Premier Cru Extra Brut occupies the Premier Cru tier. Organic Extra Brut provides a separate dry cuvée identified by organic farming. The prestige collection includes Palmes d'Or Brut and Palmes d'Or Rosé Intense, a rare saignée rosé.
Palmes d'Or Brut is nearly 95% Grands Crus, divided equally between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Blanc de Blancs adds a named cuvée to the range, while the rosé brings a different colour and production method through saignée, the drawing off of lightly coloured juice from red grape maceration.