Legras & Haas

Chouilly | Champagne - France

Legras & Haas was established in 1991 and is now run by three brothers, Rémi, Olivier and Jérôme Legras. Together they craft genuine and balanced wines. Chouilly, the most northern Grand Cru village in the Côte des Blancs, is the birthplace of the Legras-Haas family and the foundation of their wines. The family cultivates 18 hectares of vines in these outstanding hills. With its 35 parcels spread out in almost all of the village areas, the family estate offers an extraordinary diversity of chardonnay styles. Chouilly benefits from a primarily Eastern and Northern exposure with gently sloping hillsides and lowlands which impart richness and strength to the wines. A closer look at the subsoils allows us to understand the quintessence of these wines and the magic held within these lands. Chouilly subsoil is mostly composed of hard “Belemnites” chalk. The most western plots, closest to Epernay, as well as the northern and eastern sides of the “Mont Aigu“ are composed of a more ancient “Quadrata” deposit. These sedimentary rocks are unique in that they can store up to 40% of their volume in water, thereby providing the vine with consistent levels of humidity. The differences in depths of the tillable horizon play a key part in the diversity of texture in wines; each area’s colluvial deposits formed of sand, clay and fragments of chalk and grit that have accumulated on the hillsides are different. They enable the soils to conserve the organic and mineral components needed for the growth of the plant. These complex and fragile systems must be carefully nurtured so it may in return foster healthy vines. The result is nothing short of remarkable, wines are approachable early on and display a rich, aromatic and graceful style.The ability to win over the wine amateurs and wine expert alike; silky textures and an approachable style paired with complexity and potential for bottle age is the signature of an outstanding terroir. Soft or serious all Legras & Haas Chouilly wines tell the story of their origin. The Partelaines sector, which borders Épernay in the West and Mont Aigu in the East, impart delicate aromas and intense freshness whilst the heart of the village gives the wines depth and poise. Thanks to the diversity of parcels, combined with the effects of slow, carefully executed, harvests that respect the different ripeness levels in the vines, the Chouilly vineyards owned by the family allow the creativity and freedom of choice of Rémi, Olivier and Jérôme. The family chooses to produce each year up to five different blends of pure Chouilly.