Michel Fallon - Brigitte Fallon 'Avysia' Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, France 2015

Champagne Michel Fallon is located in the village of Avize, just up the street from the Hôtel Les Avisés. For the past 20 years, Michel has been working with Anselme Selosse, mostly in the vineyards and also in production. In 2008, he asked Selosse if he could keep a little bit of fruit to start his adventure and make the wines in Selosse’s cellar, a request that was warmly received. Michel produced his first cuvée in 2008 from Selosse’s Avize vineyard and released his first finished wine, Cuvée Ozanne, in 2012. The name is a historical reference to the village of Avize which, until the year 796, was known as Ozanne la Belle. The tiny 400-bottle production was sold exclusively in France and Italy.

This Grand Cru Chardonnay fruit comes from organic vineyards and is barrel fermented and aged; Cuvée Ozanne is a solera cuvée made out of 10 vintages with about 60% from the current year. Recently Michel acquired a one-hectare plot in Avize and started ramping up production. Today he produces around 900 bottles of wine, enabling him to expand his distribution.

Recently, the house has started bottling a second Champagne, named after Michel’s wife, Brigitte. They did not get more vines (Ozanne remains a single-site project), and instead are using their reserve wine from the local cooperative, to which Michel sells some fruit every year. So, the juice for Champagne Brigitte Fallon is a combination of Fallon Avize grapes and other growers' Avize grapes of the same quality.

A pair of superb Champagnes, the style at Champagne Michel Fallon is reminiscent of Selosse, with beautiful oxidative notes, energy, and freshness

Made from grapes grown in a plot of 900 square meters adjacent to Fallon's home in the Grand Cru commune of Avize, as well as the Fallon's and other growers' reserve wine from the local cooperative. Fermented in temperature-controlled tanks with full malolactic fermentation. Aged nine years on the lees and disgorged October, 2024. 6.2g/L dosage.