Julien Fourrier: seventh generation dedicated to Champagne

Champagne Philippe Fourrier is a grower-producer house led by Julien Fourrier, the seventh generation of a family of Champagne winegrowers. The estate produces single-parcel champagnes, with limited inputs, harvested by hand available for direct sale on Avenue des Vins.

Available directly from the estate on Avenue des Vins.

What is the history of Champagne Philippe Fourrier?

Seven generations, the same high standards

Some numbers speak louder than any words. Seven generations. Seven times the same vines passed down, the same expertise preserved, the same passion for this unique Champagne terroir. Julien Fourrier is the direct heir and he never forgets the weight and privilege of it.

Being the 7th generation of a winegrowing family is a privilege; respecting our terroir and environment is a duty; crafting champagne is a pleasure.

This motto says everything about the man: no posturing, no grandiloquence. A clear awareness of what has been passed down to him and what he must do with it. Champagne Philippe Fourrier does not seek to impress through its longevity it seeks to earn it, vintage after vintage.

The estate’s philosophy reflects this same restraint: staying as close as possible to the character of the product, working with parcel selection, limiting inputs to allow the raw material to fully express itself. Sincere champagnes, true to their origins, owing nothing to artifice.

How did Julien Fourrier become a Champagne winemaker?

The harvest child, turned winemaker

Julien’s passion for wine did not come from a dramatic revelation. It grew slowly and naturally, in the cellars and vineyards of his grandfather. As a child, he already took part in bottling champagne during school holidays learning every stage of vinification, in the winery, alongside a man who worked with the same quiet rigor.

My passion for wine was born very early, as I was immersed in this world from childhood alongside my grandfather. Watching him work the vines and craft his champagne with passion left a deep impression on me.

These moments passed on two essential things: a taste for work well done and a love of the product. Two qualities that can now be found in every bottle produced by the estate.

Among all his memories, the harvest season holds a special place. In Champagne, mechanical harvesting is forbidden, everything is picked by hand, in an atmosphere that is both physically demanding and festive. Seasonal teams, long days, unforgettable laughter. The result of a full year’s work in the vineyards, picked cluster by cluster.

It’s a very intense but very convivial period. Harvesting the grapes is the result of a year of hard work in our vineyards.

What distinguishes Champagne Philippe Fourrier?

Terroir champagnes, crafted with precision

At Champagne Philippe Fourrier, every decision in the cellar follows the same logic: to support the wine rather than transform it. Selection is done parcel by parcel to preserve the unique expression of each plot. Inputs are reduced to a minimum so as not to mask what the terroir has to say.

This is not a minimalist stance it is a deep conviction that when the raw material is good, it needs no embellishment. The winemaker’s role is to listen, observe, and intervene with restraint.

Champagne Philippe Fourrier stands out through its independent grower-producer approach:

100% manual harvesting (mandatory in Champagne) rigorous parcel selection limited inputs

Authentic cuvées that fully express their terroir.

The champagne that best reflects Julien? A vintage Pinot Noir, single-varietal. A wine of character, complex and structured, that ages beautifully in the cellar and balances roundness with freshness in precise harmony.

A champagne with character, complex and structured, with excellent aging potential. A vintage Pinot Noir, single-varietal, combining depth, finesse, and personality a reflection of what I aim to convey through my work.

What are the future plans for Champagne Philippe Fourrier?

Arbane, open doors, and future projects

What gets Julien up every morning is the diversity of the job: working outdoors in the vineyards, in the winery, and interacting with customers. For him, the greatest reward remains that moment when a customer tastes the wine and expresses satisfaction, a shared pleasure on both sides of the glass.

For the coming years, the estate has concrete projects. The renovation of the reception area is underway, to better welcome visitors and showcase the estate’s identity. In the vineyards, one project is particularly close to his heart: planting Arbane, a rare ancestral Champagne grape variety, almost disappeared from the region, which Julien hopes to revive.

We are planning to renovate our reception area to better welcome visitors and highlight our work and identity. Other initiatives are also under consideration, such as planting Arbane, a grape variety that is particularly meaningful to us.

Arbane along with Petit Meslier and Pinot Blanc is one of Champagne’s forgotten grape varieties, grown by less than 1% of winemakers. Planting it means looking both far back into the past and far ahead into the future. Exactly the mindset of a seventh generation that understands its heritage.

Buying Champagne Philippe Fourrier on Avenue des Vins means choosing an independent grower champagne, produced by a récoltant-manipulant for seven generations, shipped directly from the estate through a short supply chain without négociants or intermediaries.

Discover Champagne Philippe Fourrier cuvées directly on their Avenue des Vins page grower champagnes shipped straight from the estate, via a short supply chain.

Discover the wines of Champagne Fourrier directly from the estate, at the estate price, in a short supply chain on Avenue des Vins.

Frequently asked questions about Champagne Fourrier

What is a grower-producer champagne?

A grower-producer, or récoltant-manipulant, makes champagne solely from its own grapes, from the vineyard through to bottling. Champagne Philippe Fourrier has followed this path for seven generations, with no négociant in between.

What is Arbane, the grape Julien Fourrier wants to plant?

Arbane is an ancestral Champagne variety grown by fewer than 1% of winemakers. Julien Fourrier hopes to replant it at the estate to bring back a grape that has almost vanished from the region.

Which Philippe Fourrier champagne best reflects the winemaker?

Julien Fourrier identifies most with a vintage, single-varietal Pinot Noir. This structured, complex cuvée offers real ageing potential and pairs roundness with freshness in a careful balance.

Why is Champagne harvested by hand?

Machine picking is banned across the appellation, so every cluster is gathered manually. At the estate, this convivial stage caps a full year of care given to the vines.

How does the estate craft its terroir champagnes?

The estate chooses its grapes plot by plot and keeps cellar inputs to a minimum. The goal is to let each parcel speak rather than reshape the raw material.