Patrice Guay
The small sparkling wine house Patrice Guay has been committed for a century to producing refined Champagnes that reflect the character of the Vallée de la Marne. It all began in 1930 with Henri Joly and his brother-in-law Alfred Godinat, who started making Champagne in the village of Festigny using a 4,000-kilogram press. Currently, the estate is run by the fourth and fifth generations of the family, represented respectively by Patrice Guay and his young son Thomas, who exclusively work with the grapes they cultivate under the status of Récolltant Manipulant. The family's goal is to highlight the character of the terroir by forming an unbreakable bond with the plant, the soil, and the vineyard.
The vineyards owned by the Patrice Guay estate extend over 7 hectares, predominantly planted with Pinot Meunier, the principal variety of the Vallée de la Marne, which occupies 70% of the Domaine's area, alongside Chardonnay and just 5% of Pinot Noir. The agronomic management is aimed at respecting the soil, the plants, and the biodiversity, a fundamental prerequisite for producing Champagnes that reflect the terroir. Following this vision, the estate adopts techniques such as cover cropping and grassing, as well as other sustainable practices that comply with the regulations of the certifications “Haute Valeur Environnementale” (High Environmental Value) and “Viticulture Durable en Champagne” (Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne). The harvest is done by hand, and the bunches are then subjected to gentle pressing in a 4,000 kg capacity press. The must obtained is then subjected to controlled temperature alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, and after a short stop in the same containers, the sparkling process in the bottle is carried out according to the Champenoise Method, with a period of at least 2-3 years of aging on the lees in a dedicated aging room at a controlled temperature of 10 °C. Finally, the operations of degorgement and dosage follow, with the addition of a cane sugar liqueur.
The Champagnes signed by Patrice Guay stand out for their refined classicism. From the balance of the ‘Tradition’ to the strong character of the ‘Mount-Aulin’, the labels of the Guay family are true expressions of the Vallée de la Marne.
The small sparkling wine house Patrice Guay has been committed for a century to producing refined Champagnes that reflect the character of the Vallée de la Marne. It all began in 1930 with Henri Joly and his brother-in-law Alfred Godinat, who started making Champagne in the village of Festigny using a 4,000-kilogram press. Currently, the estate is run by the fourth and fifth generations of the family, represented respectively by Patrice Guay and his young son Thomas, who exclusively work with the grapes they cultivate under the status of Récolltant Manipulant. The family's goal is to highlight the character of the terroir by forming an unbreakable bond with the plant, the soil, and the vineyard.
The vineyards owned by the Patrice Guay estate extend over 7 hectares, predominantly planted with Pinot Meunier, the principal variety of the Vallée de la Marne, which occupies 70% of the Domaine's area, alongside Chardonnay and just 5% of Pinot Noir. The agronomic management is aimed at respecting the soil, the plants, and the biodiversity, a fundamental prerequisite for producing Champagnes that reflect the terroir. Following this vision, the estate adopts techniques such as cover cropping and grassing, as well as other sustainable practices that comply with the regulations of the certifications “Haute Valeur Environnementale” (High Environmental Value) and “Viticulture Durable en Champagne” (Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne). The harvest is done by hand, and the bunches are then subjected to gentle pressing in a 4,000 kg capacity press. The must obtained is then subjected to controlled temperature alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, and after a short stop in the same containers, the sparkling process in the bottle is carried out according to the Champenoise Method, with a period of at least 2-3 years of aging on the lees in a dedicated aging room at a controlled temperature of 10 °C. Finally, the operations of degorgement and dosage follow, with the addition of a cane sugar liqueur.
The Champagnes signed by Patrice Guay stand out for their refined classicism. From the balance of the ‘Tradition’ to the strong character of the ‘Mount-Aulin’, the labels of the Guay family are true expressions of the Vallée de la Marne.
