Vouette et Sorbée

Bertrand Gautherot's connection to the vines of Buxières-sur-Arce began in 1986 when he inherited the Vouette parcel, located immediately behind his family's house, from his father. For years he continued farming conventionally and sold his grapes to large Champagne houses, as was common practice in the Aube. His path changed direction during the 1990s, when he converted his vineyards to biodynamic viticulture, receiving Demeter certification in 1998. Before returning to full-time vine work in 1993, Gautherot had spent time in Paris working in the luxury goods industry at houses including Chanel and Dior. The first vintage under the Vouette et Sorbée label was 2001, released to the market in 2004, marking the estate's formal debut as a grower-producer rather than a grape supplier.

• Gautherot began tending vines in Buxières-sur-Arce in 1986, inheriting the Vouette parcel from his father
• Vineyards farmed conventionally and grapes sold to large Champagne houses prior to conversion
• Demeter biodynamic certification awarded in 1998; first estate Champagne released from the 2001 vintage
• Gautherot returned permanently to the Aube in 1993 after working for Chanel and Dior in Paris

Vouette et Sorbée is today a family enterprise led by Bertrand Gautherot alongside his partner Hélène and their daughter Héloïse, who has taken an increasingly active role in the estate and is exploring new directions including work with Champagne hillside sites. Benoît Doussot, who previously worked for Jean-Philippe Fichet in Meursault, joined the team a few years ago, bringing experience from Burgundy's natural winemaking world. Beyond Vouette et Sorbée, Bertrand and Doussot have collaborated on Champagne Clandestin, a micro-négociant project sourcing sustainably grown grapes from eight hectares. The estate occupies a near-cult position among Champagne aficionados who prize terroir-transparent, low-intervention wines from the Aube.

• Hélène Gautherot and daughter Héloïse are active partners in running the estate
• Héloïse is experimenting with Champagne hillside sites as a new direction for the estate
• Benoît Doussot joined the team after working with Jean-Philippe Fichet in Meursault, Burgundy
• Champagne Clandestin, co-founded by Gautherot and Doussot, is a micro-négociant sourcing from eight sustainably farmed hectares

The estate works five hectares of vines around Buxières-sur-Arce, with average vine age of 35 years planted in Upper Jurassic soils. The Vouette parcel, inherited from Bertrand's father, sits immediately behind the family house and gives the estate its name. Sorbée, at the top of the hill, features Portlandian limestone soils and sources the Saignée de Sorbée rosé. Briaunes, Bertrand's largest parcel at two hectares, contributes to both the Fidèle and Blanc d'Argile cuvées. Tirmy is planted to Pinot Noir of 30-plus years of age on land that was forest until it was cleared and planted in the late 1960s. A fifth parcel, Fonnet, is the estate's Pinot Blanc site and provides the fruit for the Textures cuvée.

• Sorbée parcel sits atop the hill on Portlandian limestone soils, source of the Saignée de Sorbée rosé
• Briaunes is the estate's largest parcel at two hectares, contributing to Fidèle and Blanc d'Argile
• Tirmy is planted to Pinot Noir on land converted from forest in the late 1960s; vines are 30-plus years old
• Fonnet is dedicated to Pinot Blanc and is the sole source for the Textures cuvée

Gautherot's winemaking philosophy centers on revealing terroir with minimal intervention. Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeasts in French oak barrels. Nothing is chaptalized, acidified, or filtered, and no cold maceration is practiced. A small amount of sulfur dioxide is added after pressing, but no liqueur de expédition is used at disgorgement, making all releases effectively zero-dosage. The Textures cuvée, a pure Pinot Blanc, receives an extended nine months of aging in a combination of barrel and clay amphorae before disgorgement, reflecting an ongoing curiosity about vessel and format. Recent disgorged releases have included Blanc d'Argile R20 and R22 and Fidèle R21, following the estate's practice of identifying disgorgement dates on labels.

• Indigenous yeast fermentation in French oak barrels; no chaptalization, filtration, or acidification
• Small SO2 addition after pressing only; no liqueur de expédition, so all wines are zero-dosage
• Textures (pure Pinot Blanc) vinified in French oak barrel and clay amphorae for nine months
• Labels carry disgorgement date references such as R20, R21, and R22 for consumer transparency

Vouette et Sorbée holds a defining position in the story of grower Champagne and the rehabilitation of the Côte des Bar as a serious fine-wine zone. When Gautherot released his first bottles in 2004, the Aube was still widely treated as a source of base wine for large houses rather than a region capable of producing world-class terroir-driven Champagne. His commitment to biodynamics, indigenous fermentation, and zero-dosage set a standard that influenced a generation of growers in the region and beyond. The estate's five distinct parcels and the separation of their characters into individual cuvées make it a study in how Upper Jurassic limestone soils express themselves through Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc. For students of Champagne, Vouette et Sorbée is essential context for understanding the grower-Champagne movement and the diversity of the appellation.

• One of the first Demeter-certified biodynamic estates in the Côte des Bar, converting in the 1990s
• Helped establish the Aube as a source of terroir-expressive grower Champagne rather than bulk supply to large houses
• Five single-parcel cuvées demonstrate the range of Upper Jurassic terroir expressions in Buxières-sur-Arce
• Benchmark reference for zero-dosage, non-chaptalized, indigenous-yeast Champagne production