Hermonville, France
“If I hadn’t met Anselme Selosse I would not be making the wines I make today.” – Frédéric Minière
Frédéric and his brother, Rodolphe, are the fourth generation to lead their estate. The domaine was founded in 1919 by their great-grandfather but they never bottled Champagne under their own name. For generations, the Minières preferred to sell all of their fruit to larger houses.
Frédéric Minière worked with Anselme Selosse for two harvests in the late 90s. It was then that Fred fell in love with barrel aged Champagne and saw the benefits of organic viticulture. At the time, he was in the middle of his oenology studies. This experience was formative for him and it convinced him to bottle Champagnes under his family name. This dream would not be realized until 2007 when his father retired and the two brothers were able to chart a new course for the domaine.
To say that Frédéric and Rodolphe are focused on making only the highest quality Champagne would be an understatement. With almost eight hectares of land in Hermonville, they are purposefully limiting their production to the best and oldest vines isolated from only two hectares. They are also choosing to age their wines entirely in aged oak barrels, with consistent batonnage and releasing vintage specific cuvees only after years of sur lie aging, cold stabilisation and no filtration. On average, their Champagnes are spending six or more years in barrel. (They didn't release their first vintage till 2014!)
(image: http://grandcruselections.com/champagne-miniere)