Champagne Pommery & Greno

Champagne Pommery was founded in 1858 in Reims by Alexandre Louis Pommery and Narcisse Greno as a wool trading business that had already begun dealing in Champagne. When Alexandre Pommery died that same founding year, his widow Madame Louise Pommery took control and fundamentally redirected the enterprise. She acquired a 50-hectare estate in 1868 that included 120 Gallo-Roman chalk crayères beneath Reims, commissioning the excavation of an 18-kilometre underground cellar system and the construction of a grand Elizabethan-style mansion above. In 1874 she released Pommery Nature, the first Champagne produced with little or no dosage to achieve a genuinely dry, brut character, at a time when sweeter styles dominated the market. Madame Pommery died in 1890 and received the first state funeral accorded to a French woman, a measure of her cultural and commercial impact. The house subsequently passed to the Polignac family through her daughter's marriage, and later to LVMH in 1991 before Vranken-Pommery acquired the brand in 2002.

• Founded 1858 as a wool and Champagne trading house by Alexandre Louis Pommery and Narcisse Greno.
• Madame Louise Pommery created Pommery Nature in 1874, establishing the brut style commercially for the first time.
• The 120 Gallo-Roman chalk crayères acquired in 1868 became the foundation of an 18 km underground cellar network.
• Madame Pommery received the first state funeral granted to a French woman upon her death in 1890.

Vranken-Pommery Monopole acquired Champagne Pommery from LVMH in 2002, securing the brand, the Reims headquarters, and the storied cellars, though the Grand Cru vineyards remained with LVMH under a long-term supply agreement covering approximately 300 hectares. The group now manages 2,600 hectares across Champagne, Provence, the Camargue, and the Douro Valley through more than 50 brands. A governance restructuring took effect on January 1, 2025, with Nathalie Vranken appointed CEO of Champagne Pommery and Clément Pierlot elevated to Deputy CEO alongside his continuing role as Cellar Master. Effective January 1, 2026, the corporate parent has been renamed Maison Pommery & Associés, and the group simultaneously sold Heidsieck & Co Monopole to Lanson-BCC for approximately 50 million euros. Revenue for 2025 was reported at 293.2 million euros, with the premium portfolio growing 8.1 percent led by Cuvée Louise, Apanage 1874, and Grand Cru Royal.

• Vranken-Pommery acquired the brand and cellars from LVMH in 2002; Grand Cru vineyards remained LVMH property under supply agreement.
• Nathalie Vranken became CEO and Clément Pierlot became Deputy CEO on January 1, 2025.
• Corporate name changed to Maison Pommery & Associés on January 1, 2026; Heidsieck & Co Monopole sold simultaneously for approximately 50 million euros.
• 2025 premium portfolio grew 8.1 percent; total group revenue was 293.2 million euros.

Pommery sources from approximately 300 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards in Champagne under a supply agreement with LVMH, concentrated on the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs. Key sites for Chardonnay include Avize and Cramant on the Côte des Blancs, while Aÿ on the Montagne de Reims provides the Pinot Noir backbone for the prestige Cuvée Louise cuvée. Within Reims itself, the house stewards Les Clos Pompadour, a 25-hectare walled single vineyard whose fruit is vinified and released exclusively in magnum format under the Clos Pompadour label. The English venture, launched under the Louis Pommery England brand, draws on 40 hectares planted in Hampshire in 2016. The Vranken-Pommery Group's broader landholding extends to 2,600 hectares across Champagne, Provence, the Camargue, and Portugal's Douro Valley.

• Approximately 300 Grand Cru hectares in Champagne supplied under LVMH agreement; key sites include Avize, Cramant, and Aÿ.
• Les Clos Pompadour: 25-hectare walled vineyard within Reims; wine released in magnum only.
• 40 hectares planted in Hampshire, England in 2016 for Louis Pommery England sparkling wine.
• Group total: 2,600 hectares across Champagne, Provence, Camargue, and the Douro Valley.

Pommery's house style is rooted in freshness, elegance, and finesse rather than richness or power, a philosophy that traces directly to Madame Pommery's 1874 decision to produce Champagne with minimal dosage. The non-vintage Brut Royal anchors the range and expresses the house's commitment to precision blending across multiple vintages. At the prestige level, Cuvée Louise is assembled exclusively from three Grand Crus: Chardonnay from Avize and Cramant, and Pinot Noir from Aÿ, and is available in Brut, Brut Nature, and Rosé expressions. The Apanage 1874 cuvée was launched in 2024 to mark the 150th anniversary of the brut style and is offered in Brut, Blanc de Blancs, and Rosé formats. Clos Pompadour, produced from the single walled vineyard in Reims and released only in magnum, earned 97 points from James Suckling for the 2017 vintage. Cellar Master Clément Pierlot, the 10th to hold the position, joined the group in 2004 and has led winemaking since 2017.

• Brut style pioneered in 1874 with Pommery Nature; minimal dosage and natural elegance remain the house signature.
• Cuvée Louise composed exclusively of Avize and Cramant Chardonnay plus Aÿ Pinot Noir; available in Brut, Brut Nature, and Rosé.
• Apanage 1874 launched 2024 to mark the 150th anniversary of brut Champagne; available in Brut, Blanc de Blancs, and Rosé.
• Clos Pompadour 2017 scored 97 points from James Suckling; released in magnum format only.

Pommery occupies a singular position in Champagne history as the house that made brut Champagne commercially viable, reshaping global taste in sparkling wine. The Reims cellars, with 18 km of galleries carved from Gallo-Roman chalk and UNESCO World Heritage recognition, represent one of the most extraordinary winemaking environments in the world, now doubling as a destination for contemporary art through the Experience Pommery programme. The house was awarded Champagne House of the Year by The Champagne Club in January 2025 and received the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant designation in 2025, recognising exceptional French craft and industrial expertise. For students of WSET and related qualifications, Pommery serves as the defining case study for the development of the brut style and the role of individual vision in reshaping an entire appellation's direction. The ongoing investment in English sparkling wine and premium portfolio growth signals that the house continues to evolve while maintaining clear ties to its foundational innovation.

• Credited as the inventor of commercially successful brut Champagne (1874), the style now dominant in the global market.
• UNESCO World Heritage listed cellars attract approximately 200,000 visitors annually through Experience Pommery contemporary art programme.
• Awarded Champagne House of the Year by The Champagne Club (January 2025) and Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant designation (2025).
• Premium portfolio (Cuvée Louise, Apanage 1874, Grand Cru Royal) grew 8.1 percent in 2025 amid a contracting Champagne market.