Why it matters
The producer
At Avenue de Mareuil in Avenay Val d'Or, Champagne Picart-Thiout works as a grower-manipulant, the Champagne term for a producer making wine from its own harvested production. Its vineyards extend across several Champagne communes classified Premier Cru and Grand Cru. The same producer vinifies and ages the wines from that harvest, and also operates through direct producer sales.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The vineyards reach across multiple Champagne communes, with both Premier Cru and Grand Cru classifications represented. These are vineyard hierarchy terms within Champagne, marking different classified levels across the region. The producer's base is in Avenay Val d'Or, in the Marne department.
Wines to know
The range in view
The named sparkling wines are Champagne 2008 No 5 Mousserande vin, Picart-Thiout Millésimé Premier Cru from 2008, and Picart-Thiout Symphonie Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Brut from 2012. Their labels give clear points of orientation through vintage, vineyard classification and style. Blanc de Blancs denotes sparkling wine made from white grapes, while Brut identifies a dry dosage category. Carbon dioxide dissolved in sparkling wine creates its mousse.
Ratafia Champenois sits outside the sparkling range. It is made from grape musts and eau-de-vie sourced within the Champagne appellation, then aged 3 years in oak. Must supplies the grape material, eau-de-vie supplies alcohol, and oak ageing can add spice and a rounder texture over time.