Champagne Laurent Bénard x Amcor : Charles Bénard testimonials

"We chose Amcor because of its location but also for the customization service that it offers for hoods which yields quite unique results."

Charles Bénard, Laurent Bénard Champagne

LUXETAIN

LUXPREM

Portrait Charles Bénard - Laurent Bénard Champagne Could you, in a few words, tell us about your Domaine and its characteristics?

What do you find to be the most interesting part of your work?

"Laurent Bénard Champagne is an exclusive brand founded by my father, Laurent, in 2009, in addition to the family brand that he took over in 1991. The two brands operate in the same location, but are distinguished by a more personal vision in the latter closer to the values that drive my father.

The Laurent Bénard brand is destined to expand with the arrival of the fourth generation of wine-growers in the family, which is the generation I represent.

It's a house covering 2 and a half hectares at Mareuil-surAÿ, right in the heart of Marne's wine-growing region. Our vines grow in soil that is light in Champagne chalk, giving our wines a certain mineral profile that's rich in freshness.

The harvest and vinification!

It's the culmination of an entire year's work, the reason why we get up in the morning every day. When our grapes are transformed into wine, then the aromas are unleashed... and there's a rewarding feeling that hits me deep inside! Since we work with a lot of parcels and different massal selections, there's a literal path of fragrances for at least 2 weeks!"

We work with the 3 iconic grape varietals of Champagne, pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay, while maintaining the utmost respect for the terroir. We have moved toward a certified organic viticulture, inspired by biodynamic principles. We therefore prioritize a balanced vinification: one with limited interventionism; spontaneous grassing; using plants, spontaneous fermentation; little to no added sulfur; very low dosage, and so on. At the heart of our vision is the respect for what the vine gives us, the desire to care for the juice in its journey to becoming wine.

In terms of vinification, we ferment and nurture our juices in stainless-steel vats and in casks in order to achieve a subtle balance between wood and fruit.

What characterizes the House? We produce vintage champagnes every year, in contrast to the tendency in Champagne to favor only the best years."

Why did you choose to use our Amcor’s hoods for your wines?

We work with Amcor for 2 products: LUXETAIN, a premium pure tin embossed hood; and LUXPREM, a premium polylaminate hood that has a similar look and feel to tin.

Our premium vintages are equipped with Luxetain hoods to reinforce the impression of excellence surrounding our vintages champagnes We want to evoke the allure of our wines right from the esthetics of our bottles. Luxprem is reserved for our other vintages. The idea is to create a distinction while maintaining the sense of a premium product.

"We chose Amcor because of its location but also for the customization service that it offers for hoods which yields quite unique results." On our side, we use hot stamping and embossing options for our logo.

Other than champagne, what are your favorite wines?

I have a soft spot for Banyuls and Maury. My first years in vinification were spent in the south as I wanted to see something different and gain experience. When I was there, I fell in love with the region, its landscape, and its wines.

The whites are wonderful. You find a closeness to the Mediterranean with the mixture of the warmth of alcohol and the powerful fruitiness of grey and white grenaches…

In terms of tasting, what has most recently caught your attention?

As a matter of fact, something totally different! It was a Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume: mineral, fresh, with a wonderful body and long notes. One of the finest regions for white wine in existence!

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"Our premium vintages are equipped with Luxetain hoods" Charles Bénard