Why it matters
The producer
Paul Bastien Clergeot farms 8 hectares and makes wine only from the best performing plots. Usually, under half of annual production is sold. The selection begins in the vineyard.
Synthetic herbicides and pesticides are absent from the farming. Clergeot makes his own organic compost, while pigs and sheep provide natural fertilization and weed control. Each plot receives treatment based on its annual needs, and the cuvées can change from year to year.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
One named setting is a Chevry plot near a river, where cooler conditions shape the growing environment. The holdings are handled plot by plot, so the wines retain a connection to individual parcels and vintages.
The complete village distribution is not part of the range description, but the Chevry parcel gives one concrete picture of how Petit Clergeot works. A river, a cooler plot, and separate annual treatment come before a fixed regional formula.
Wines to know
The range in view
Petit Clergeot makes changing Champagne cuvées rather than a fixed lineup that remains identical from year to year. Fermentation and ageing can take place in stainless steel, amphora, or oak barrels of any size.
The vessel changes with the cuvée. Amphora, steel, and oak each give fermentation and ageing a different physical setting, while the plot, grape variety, and vintage remain part of the wine's definition. The range is experimental, unconventional, and built from individual expressions.