Vouette et Sorbée

Bertrand Gautherot began farming his family's Aube vineyards in 1986 and converted to biodynamics, earning Demeter certification, in 1998. Encouraged by Anselme Selosse to vinify his own fruit rather than sell grapes, he bottled his first estate Champagne from the 2001 vintage. The conversion placed Vouette et Sorbée among the earliest and most influential biodynamic growers in the Côte des Bar. The estate's reputation has grown steadily through the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s on the back of strong critical reception for its Pinot Noir-led range, and Gautherot's daughter Héloïse has taken on a growing role alongside her father.

• Began farming the family's Aube vineyards in 1986
• Converted to biodynamics and Demeter-certified in 1998
• First estate-bottled vintage in 2001, encouraged by Anselme Selosse
• Among the earliest and most influential biodynamic growers in the Côte des Bar

The estate farms approximately 5 hectares across Buxières-sur-Arce and the neighboring village of Ville-sur-Arce, divided among several lieux-dits. The estate name comes from two of them: Vouette, on Kimmeridgian marl, and Sorbée, higher up on Portlandian limestone. This is the same Kimmeridgian geology found in Chablis, and Pinot Noir performs particularly well on it. Plantings are led by Pinot Noir, with Chardonnay (notably the Biaunes parcel for Blanc d'Argile) and a little Pinot Blanc for the Textures cuvée.

• Approximately 5 hectares across Buxières-sur-Arce and Ville-sur-Arce
• Estate named for two lieux-dits: Vouette (Kimmeridgian marl) and Sorbée (Portlandian limestone)
• Same Kimmeridgian geology as Chablis
• Pinot Noir-led, with Chardonnay (Biaunes) and a little Pinot Blanc

Gautherot's cellar practices align with Selossiste-movement methodology: barrel fermentation with indigenous yeasts, no or very low dosage, low sulfur, no fining or filtering, and extended bottle aging on lees. The cellar style is notably oxidative compared with major-Maison practice, producing wines with pronounced toasted nut, dried apple, and walnut oil notes layered over Pinot Noir-driven red fruit. The approach produces wines that age remarkably well, with extended development revealing additional complexity over time. The style has positioned Vouette et Sorbée at the experimental-prestige end of contemporary Aube grower-Champagne.

• Barrel fermentation with indigenous yeasts
• No or very low dosage; low sulfur
• No fining or filtering; extended bottle aging on lees
• Oxidative style with toasted nut, dried apple, walnut oil notes

The Vouette et Sorbée range comprises Fidèle (pure Pinot Noir blanc de noirs, the volume face, finished Extra Brut and carrying a small share of a perpetual reserve begun in 2001), Blanc d'Argile (pure Chardonnay blanc de blancs from the Biaunes parcel), Saignée de Sorbée (a whole-cluster, saignée-style Pinot Noir rosé), Textures (a pure Pinot Blanc Brut Nature aged in barrel and clay amphorae), and Sobre (a pure Chardonnay Brut Nature made with no liqueur de tirage). The estate sits within the broader Aube grower-Champagne movement alongside Cédric Bouchard, Marie-Courtin, and Pierre Gerbais, with Gautherot's biodynamic and oxidative emphasis distinguishing his range stylistically. Vouette et Sorbée has been a foundational contributor to the Aube's grower-Champagne identity through early biodynamic certification and consistent critical reception.

• Fidèle: pure Pinot Noir blanc de noirs, the volume face (Extra Brut)
• Blanc d'Argile: pure Chardonnay blanc de blancs from Biaunes
• Saignée de Sorbée: whole-cluster, saignée-style Pinot Noir rosé
• Textures: pure Pinot Blanc Brut Nature; Sobre: pure Chardonnay, no liqueur de tirage

Vouette et Sorbée's critical reception has been consistently strong across the 2010s and 2020s, with critics including Antonio Galloni and Peter Liem ranking Gautherot's range among the leading biodynamic Aube grower-Champagnes. The estate's commercial visibility has remained allocation-based, with most cuvées sold through long-term client relationships rather than open distribution. Gautherot's daughter Héloïse has taken on a growing role at the estate alongside her father. Vouette et Sorbée's part in surfacing the Aube as a serious grower-Champagne territory parallels Cédric Bouchard's broader visibility work, with both estates showing that the Côte des Bar can produce prestige-tier Champagne distinct from the major sub-regions to the north.