Collection: Francois Secondé

Sillery, Montagne de Reims - Grand Cru

Champagne François Secondé is rooted in a place with one of the most storied histories in all of Champagne. Sillery was already celebrated in the 17th century when Nicolas Brûlart, Chancellor to Henry IV, introduced its wines to the French court. An 18th-century scholar declared that Sillery's wines were of quality so superior that only the king deserved them. Yet despite its Grand Cru classification and centuries of prestige, Sillery had all but disappeared from the map of grower champagne by the 20th century.

François Secondé changed that. He left school at 14 to work in the vineyards, leased his first parcel, and in 1972 bought his own. Together with his wife Anne-Marie he began producing his own champagne. For years he was the only independent grower bottling a pure Sillery Grand Cru. His estate of around 5.5 hectares spans Sillery, Mailly-Champagne, Puisieulx, and Verzenay, with roughly two-thirds Pinot Noir and one-third Chardonnay grown on Turonian limestone of exceptional age.

Since 2009, oenologist Jérôme Groslambert has worked alongside the estate to develop its style further, and now leads it following François Secondé's passing in 2018. The La Loge Blanc de Noirs, limited to 2,000 bottles per year, has earned silver medals at Decanter and a 92/100 from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. This is champagne with history in every bubble.