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Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire
Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire, a grower in Villers-sous-Châtillon since 1945, direct from the estate...
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Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire: an exceptional family house in Villers-sous-Chatillon
Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire
A family house of the Marne Valley, in Villers-sous-Chatillon. Vines since 1860, house founded in 1945, five generations. Its signature: champagnes without malolactic fermentation, fresh, mineral and built for ageing. Certified HVE3 and VDC.
At the heart of the Marne Valley, in Villers-sous-Chatillon, the Roger-Constant Lemaire house has perpetuated for several generations a singular vision of wine: to produce champagnes of character, precise, elegant and deeply faithful to their terroir.
The family history begins in 1860, when the Lemaire family already grew vines. In 1945, Roger-Constant Lemaire founded the house that still bears his name today. Since then, five generations have followed one another with the same conviction: great champagne is born of precise work, deep respect for nature and an uncompromising fidelity to Champagne traditions.
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A family story rooted in the Champagne terroir
Desire Lemaire
The first to believe in Villers-sous-Chatillon
A gardener, poet and man of the soil, Desire Lemaire is at the origin of the adventure. It was he who acquired the first lands and laid the foundations of a family heritage that would then never stop growing.
Maurice Lemaire
The builder
His son Maurice Lemaire chose to become a winegrower. He developed the estate, bought new plots and devoted his energy to the production of quality grapes, thus consolidating the work started by his father.
Roger-Constant Lemaire
The visionary founder
Trained for nine years at Moet & Chandon, he acquired a rare technical mastery, enriched alongside a renowned oenologist. In 1945, he created his own house and signed his first champagnes, a pioneer in diversifying the cuvees and asserting a strong identity.
Gilles Tournant and Brigitte Lemaire
The assertion of a style
With the fourth generation, Brigitte Lemaire, daughter of Roger-Constant, and Gilles Tournant enlarged the estate to 12 hectares. From the 2000s, Gilles drove a strong direction: to remove the malolactic fermentation, a rare choice that became the signature of the house.
Guillaume and Sebastien Tournant-Lemaire
Continuity and openness
The fifth generation continues the story: Guillaume, a winegrower since 2012, ensures the continuity of the know-how and the work of the vineyard; his brother Sebastien, export director and co-manager, contributes to the international reach of the house.
A winemaking method rare in Champagne
The singularity of Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire rests on a strong technical choice: the total absence of malolactic fermentation. Where many houses practise this fermentation to soften the wines, the house makes the opposite choice, for more than twenty years. This deliberate refusal preserves:
The natural acidity of the grape and the original freshness of the fruit, at the heart of every cuvee.
The mineral tension and the aromatic purity, signatures of the house style.
This stance requires more rigour and a longer ageing in the cellar, but it gives birth to more lively, more elegant champagnes with a superior ageing potential. It is today the true stylistic signature of the house.
The making of champagne according to Roger-Constant Lemaire
Exclusively manual harvesting, with particular attention paid to the integrity of the bunches.
Alcoholic fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats, to reveal the identity of each wine.
No malolactic fermentation, to keep all the liveliness and freshness of the wines.
Bottling in the spring, with the tirage liqueur, to trigger the second fermentation.
Long ageing in the cellar, to develop finesse, depth and aromatic complexity, before the adjustment of the final balance.
Fresher, more mineral champagnes built for ageing
Thanks to this winemaking without malolactic fermentation, the Roger-Constant Lemaire champagnes offer an immediately recognisable style: a bright freshness, a great aromatic precision, a mineral expression of the terroir and a remarkable ageing capacity (with oak-barrel ageing for the vintage cuvees). These champagnes can evolve for several years, even several decades depending on the cuvees.
A strong ecological commitment
The house is part of a responsible viticulture, respectful of the environment and local biodiversity. The estate is certified High Environmental Value level 3 (HVE 3) and Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne (VDC). The vines are grown without herbicides, insecticides or acaricides, to preserve the life of the soils and the natural balance of the vineyard.
The cuvees of Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire
Select Reserve
100% Meunier - Brut
At least 4 years in the cellar.
Zero Dosage
100% Meunier - Brut Nature
At least 4 years in the cellar.
Cuvee Trianon
60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay - Brut
At least 4 years in the cellar.
Trianon 66
60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay - Brut
At least 4 years in the cellar, plus 1 year after disgorging.
Les Hautes-Prieres
100% Chardonnay - Brut
At least 8 years in the cellar.
Rose de Saignee
50% Pinot Noir, 50% Meunier - Brut
At least 4 years in the cellar.
Cuvee Collection Roger-Constant Lemaire
Luxury range - 1/3 Pinot Noir, 1/3 Meunier, 1/3 Chardonnay - Brut
At least 12 years in the cellar.
Blanc de Blancs Luxe
Luxury range - 100% Chardonnay - Extra Brut
At least 10 years in the cellar.
Champagnes without malolactic, fresh and ageworthy, direct from the house
Why are the Roger-Constant Lemaire champagnes so different?
The Roger-Constant Lemaire champagnes stand out for a rare technical choice: the absence of malolactic fermentation. This method preserves more freshness, tension and minerality in the wines. Combined with a long ageing in the cellar and an environmentally respectful viticulture, it gives birth to precise, living champagnes with a strong ageing potential.
Your questions about Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire
Where is Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire located?
The house is located in Villers-sous-Chatillon, at the heart of the Marne Valley, in Champagne.
Since when has the Lemaire family made champagne?
The family has grown vines since 1860; in 1945, Roger-Constant Lemaire founded the house that bears his name. Since then, five generations have followed one another with the same conviction.
Who runs the house today?
The fifth generation: Guillaume, a winegrower since 2012, watches over the vineyard and the family know-how, and his brother Sebastien, export director and co-manager, develops the international reach of the house.
What makes the Roger-Constant Lemaire champagnes so different?
A rare technical choice: the total absence of malolactic fermentation. For more than twenty years, the house has made this choice to preserve more freshness, tension and minerality in its wines.
Why remove the malolactic fermentation?
This deliberate refusal preserves the natural acidity of the grape, the original freshness of the fruit, the mineral tension and the aromatic purity. It requires longer ageing, but gives more lively, elegant champagnes with better ageing potential.
What is the size of the vineyard?
The estate extends over 12 hectares in the Marne Valley, around Villers-sous-Chatillon.
Which grapes are used in the cuvees?
The three Champagne grapes: Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, varied according to the cuvees, from 100% Meunier to 100% Chardonnay.
Is the house committed to sustainable viticulture?
Yes: the estate is certified High Environmental Value level 3 (HVE 3) and Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne (VDC). The vines are grown without herbicides, insecticides or acaricides.
What are the cuvees of Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire?
Select Reserve, Zero Dosage, Cuvee Trianon, Trianon 66, Les Hautes-Prieres and Rose de Saignee, as well as a luxury range: the Cuvee Collection and the Blanc de Blancs Luxe.
What is the Cuvee Collection?
The house's prestige cuvee: an equal blend of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay, aged for at least twelve years in the cellar.
Which dishes pair with the Roger-Constant Lemaire champagnes?
Their freshness and minerality make them perfect champagnes for aperitif and gastronomy: the Blanc de Blancs and the lively cuvees enhance fish and seafood; the ageworthy cuvees accompany poultry and refined dishes; the Rose de Saignee is enjoyed as an aperitif or with dessert.
Where can you buy the Roger-Constant Lemaire champagnes directly?
You can find the available cuvees here, direct from the house, carefully shipped across France and Europe. The selection changes with the cuvees and vintages.
Direct from the house, at the heart of the Marne Valley
Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire - A family house of Villers-sous-Chatillon, vines since 1860, house founded in 1945.
Champagnes without malolactic fermentation: Select Reserve, Zero Dosage, Trianon, Les Hautes-Prieres, Rose de Saignee
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