Champagne Achille Princier

16.9/20

Rated by 76 customers

GROWER CHAMPAGNE

Champagne Achille Princier has been produced in an estate that has been in the same family for decades. Indeed, in 1901, Bennoni Mansard embarked on the production of his first bottles of Champagne. A few years later, Gaston Mansard, one of his sons, joined the family winery. Ten years after the Second World War, his son Michel took over the management of the estate, embarking on the expansion of the cellars and the storeroom. To do this, he bought premises in the heart of Épernay.

Gilles Mansard took over the reins of the family estate in 1986 before becoming a merchant a few years later. Over the years, he has endeavored to pass on his know-how and his passion to his sons. In 1997, he ceased his activity as a Champagne producer and sold part of the premises.

Today, the fifth generation represented by Maxime Mansard is at the head of this family house. He launched his first brand of Champagne under the name Achille Princier. He makes his own cuvées from very old vines, planted in 1930 on a plot and inherited from his ancestors.

GROWER CHAMPAGNE

What are the differences between small Champagne producers and big Champagne houses?

A WIDE RANGE OF CHAMPAGNES

The Achille Princier house has around 24 hectares of vines spread over ten municipalities. Almost half of the vines are over 30 years old. The grape variety consists of 65% Pinot Meunier giving intense and fruity aromas as well as roundness to the blends. This grape is complemented by Chardonnay (25%) bringing freshness, finesse and elegance, as well as Pinot Noir (10%) giving power and structure. The vineyard has more than 66 plots guaranteeing the complexity and freshness of the wines. These allow Maxime Mansard to develop long-ageing Champagnes.

The Champagne house Achille Princier produces a varied range of exceptional Champagnes:

Grande Réserve: this Champagne is made from Chardonnay (35%), Pinot Meunier (35%) and Pinot Noir (30%). It reveals an aromatic floral bouquet full of finesse with intense notes of green fruits and dried fruits. In the mouth, we find roundness with a supple and harmonious attack.

Grande Tradition Brut: this cuvée is the result of a blend of Chardonnay (35%), Pinot Noir (35%) and Pinot Meunier (30%). Fresh, soft and harmonious, this cuvée offers an evolving, deep and subtle attack with a beautiful persistence on the palate.

Rosé: this Champagne is a blend of Pinot Noir (50%), Chardonnay (20%), Pinot Meunier (15%) and red Coteaux Champenois (15%). Endowed with a beautiful freshness, this cuvée offers an aromatic palette marked by notes of small red fruits. The palate is of remarkable finesse.

Grand Art: this cuvée is made from Chardonnay (50%) and Pinot Noir (50%). It offers an expressive nose with fruity and biscuit aromas. Creamy, the palate offers a nice balance between vinosity and freshness. It ends on a rich, harmonious and complex finish with toasted and subtly spicy notes.

AWARD-WINNING CHAMPAGNES

For the development of its Champagnes, the Achille Princier house relies on a unique style. It uses only the musts from the first press, called "cuvée", in order to bring finesse to the Champagnes. This method also makes it possible to maintain the qualitative and taste monitoring of the reserve wines. For many years, the winemaker has taken particular and rational care to cuvées ageing at a natural and constant temperature in traditional cellars.

Thanks to this style perpetuated in the family, the Achille Princier house has been rewarded several times for the quality of its Champagnes:

Cuvée Rosé: 1 star in the Hachette des Vins 2014 guide

Cuvée Grande Tradition Brut: 2 stars in the Hachette des Vins 2014 and 2009 guides

Cuvée Grand Art: 1 star in the Hachette des Vins 2011 guide, 2 stars in 2010

Cuvée Grande Réserve: 1 star in Hachette des Vins guide

To please yourself, discover the Achille Princier Champagne on Vinatis with a remarkable value for money.