For any champagne connoisseur, the name Laherte Frères instinctively evokes images of exceptional, terroir-driven champagnes. And at the heart of this renowned family-owned Champagne house one name immediately springs to mind: Aurélien Laherte – a single cult vigneron who has catapulted Chavot and the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay to the heart of the progressive movement in Champagne.
Laherte Frères is a Champagne house deeply rooted in family and generations, where every bottle tells the story of a legacy passed down through time, now led by the 7th generation Aurélien. For him, each generation doesn’t come to replace the last, but rather to complement and improve upon it, working to create a better future for both the land and the wine.
With a focus on organic and biodynamic farming methods, Aurélien’s minimalist winemaking style ensures that every bottle captures the purest expression of the land, allowing nature’s essence to take center stage.
With a deep respect for tradition, the environment and an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship, Aurélien has become synonymous with innovation, constantly challenging the status quo while staying rooted in the authenticity of the land he cultivates. He has singlehandedly emerged as a key figure in the push for site expression and specificity of place, highlighting the individuality of each plot and redefining what it means to produce Champagne rooted in terroir.
Aurélien is not alone: he is part of an exciting small cadre of forward-thinking vignerons, who, united in their mission to plot a different future for Champagne via a natural approach to viticulture, have imbued the region with a newfound relevance.
Yet if he stands as a prominent figure in Champagne’s New Wave movement, this vigneron isn’t chasing fame; his focus remains on his craft and his passion. He stands as a beacon of authenticity and creativity. In the world of Champagne, where trends often dictate the course of production, Aurélien, rejecting the desire to follow fleeting fads, is instead boldly forging a new path forward, establishing standards that will ineluctably outlast any passing fads.
By integrating the time-honored practices of Champagne with modern, conscientious methods, Aurélien and his contemporaries are ensuring its continued evolution, carving a more harmonious and sustainable future for Champagne.
Aurélien is not only reshaping the Champagne landscape but also reinvigorating the art of winemaking with a focus on pedagogy and genuine expression. His philosophy centers on educating both his peers and consumers, imparting his expertise of terroir, sustainability, the technical intricacies of winemaking, and the natural rhythms of the vines. For him, the more knowledge is shared, the greater the collective understanding and appreciation of Champagne. Through this dedication to authenticity, he offers a fresh perspective - his own unique spin – on what Champagne can truly be: an honest reflection of the land, the process and the people behind it.
When I began my Zoom interview with Aurélien, I had a list of prepared questions, eager to dive into the depths of his winemaking philosophy. However, what unfolded was something far more engaging—a free-flowing conversation that evolved organically leading to a more spontaneous exchange. As we spoke, I found myself learning more from simply listening to him than I would have by interrupting with my initial set of questions. His insights unfolded naturally, offering a much richer understanding of his approach and vision - a fascinating exchange to say the least. That said, for the sake of clarity and structure, I decided to organize our discussion into a Q&A format to make it easier to follow for this article.
Laherte Frères is a family run Champagne House with a history dating back to 1889. Can you briefly retrace the evolution of the house and its savoir-faire through these 7 generations?
Laherte Frères was founded in 1889 by two brothers. They were in Chavot and Epernay. They were “negotiants éleveurs” which today means negotiants-manipulants. The Champagne region was deeply affected by the two World Wars and that led to succession changes. My great-grand father was producing champagne under his eponymous name, Pierre Laherte; then my grand-father followed suit naming his champagne after himself, Michel Laherte.
When my dad and uncle took over the domaine, my father plunged back into the family history and rediscovering these old labels he decided to restore this brand which had naturally been abandoned. Since 1889, there has been two generations of vignerons who sold their grapes to the negotiants, and five generations of winegrowers/producers who have been making wine. Today I am the 7th generation. I joined the estate in 2005. My parents and my uncle were forty-five years old and evidently, were not yet retired. I was 21 years old. It was not about having one generation arrive so that the other one could go. It was a teamwork and back then my grandmother was also working with us. So, three generations were working on the estate.
Upon your arrival you pumped fresh energy into the house and the brand. What motivated this desire to give the estate a new dimension?
Upon joining the estate, I came with different innovative ideas, notably an interest to conduct single parcel vinification, to move towards an organic and biodynamic approach with regards to viticulture practices, to use natural yeasts, and reduce the dosage – all the things that seem logical today when we talk about a Champagne of vignerons because in 2025 this is the trend but in the 2000s it was not common. Among my generation, there weren’t many of us anchored in organic farming other than perhaps Jean-Pierre Fleury and Vincent Laval, but we all had this motivation and fiery passion (which we still have today). We took a huge risk because the only role models we had were vignerons like Francis Boulard, Pascal Agrapart, and of course the generation of Anselme Selosse and Egly-Ouriet. The changes that we undertook were met with both successes and failures, but that is what ultimately forms experience and forges your future.
How would you define the DNA of Laherte Frères?
The Coteaaux Sud d’Épernay gives us this incredible chance to have some beautiful Pinot Meunier. When my dad and I started to elaborate the cuvée “Les Vignes d’Autrefois” the first time – a cuvée emanating from old Pinot Meunier vines – we also did a rosé de saignée called “Les Beaudiers”. These two champagnes were revealing of the DNA of our house. My father had already established the vinification in wood, but we still had progress to make with regards to our viticultural practices. In 2005 when we started to craft these Pinot Meunier centric cuvées, my dad was unsure as to how the market would react. In 2009 and 2010, I remember when we started to distribute these cuvées people found it rather amusing and weren’t taking us seriously. Today if you go to New York many people will tell you that Pinot Meunier is the best grape. So, things have clearly evolved and progressed. For me Meunier is like the wines of the Jura region. These wines have been denigrated, underestimated and/or misunderstood and today we see that individual like Stéphane Tissot, for example, are enjoying an extraordinary success and attention. But these are people who have worked for a long time and have put in the effort and commitment. And to me, Pinot Meunier sort of went through the same fate. I was lucky because I didn’t want to follow the trend back then. Instead, my dad and I followed what seemed good for our vines. I also stayed on course with my vision and the type of wines I wanted to craft.
To what would you attribute Meunier’s newfound fame?
The history of Champagne has always been about the art of blending and the idea that Meunier was essential to bring fruitiness and roundness. My generation departed from these traditions to be able to do things on a more personal level. It allowed us to interpret the terroir and the grapes in our own vision and fashion. Our luck is that the market today has followed our movement. It is a very curious and open market that is remaining loyal. Champagne is in constant evolution. My grandparents’ generation was crafting a champagne with a label reading “Goût Américain” (American taste), which means it was a very sweet champagne with a dosage around 35gr/l. But it was the trend back then. People were not drinking champagne as an apéritif but as a digestif after coffee. Today champagne purists, sommeliers, distributors etc. have understood that champagne is part of the category of wines known as “Vins de Gastronomie” (gastronomic wines). With the work that we have done we succeeded in convincing consumers, experts and industry people that champagne could be something of qualitative value and not just a wine for celebratory occasions. This is proof that Champagne has always managed to adapt – adapt to the climate but as well to the economic context and consumers.
Most of your vineyards are situated on the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay. How does the terroir come alive in your champagnes?
Our estate is comprised of 13 hectares of vines, most of which is of course on the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay. We also have 1 and a half hectare in both the Côte des Blancs (Vertus & Voipreux) and the Vallée de la Marne in the villages of Boursault and Le Breuil; and we also have 30 ares of vines in the Montagne de Reims in Bouzy. It’s not a competition but it is rather rare for a family-owned champagne house to own parcels situated on the four historical geographical areas. I remain convinced that the DNA of the Champagne region is the blend. We can’t deny it, but we can interpret it in our own way. For me it was about understanding how our terroirs can work together.
Our wines are fermented and matured in wooden barrels from Burgundy. That enables us to preserve and highlight the features of each locality coming from 70 plots. Of course, we are not going to craft 70 cuvées but we can identify over a certain number of years a specific parcel that expresses a remarkable personality worth isolating and approached as a “Lieux-Dit”. For instance, “Les Grandes Crayères” is a cuvée that we present at the estate since 2014. It is a parcel that we always had and in 2012 when dad and I tasted the vins clairs we realized that it truly stood out of the lot. We came to the same conclusion in 2013 and in 2014. It undeniably is a parcel that authentically expresses the reflection of the year on a chardonnay from the Coteaux Sud d’Épernay.
Today all these parcels are here to give a reading of the terroir, the year, and to offer consumers a personality that was nonexistent before.
Do you think the shift in Champagne favoring site expression and specificity of place will lead to the end of the so called “House Style”?
The way that I was raised was to have a long-term vision. I had a great conversation with Didier Gimonnet of Champagne Pierre Gimonnet and he told me that when he took over the champagne house he was told that he needed to elaborate a non-vintage cuvée made from a blend to produce a consistent champagne year after year. Today, which means 25-30 years later, he proceeded to say, if you don’t do single parcel vinification in casks and in extra brut style, you are not fashionable. Before we used to blend Cramant and Chouilly and today he does two different individual cuvées, a pure Cramant and a pure Chouilly because the market demands it. Didier saw the evolution of the market and adjusted accordingly.
The Grandes Marques do it as well because I think that it allows them to attract new consumers. It also allows them to differentiate themselves from the rest and to showcase wines with more aromatic personality and complexity.
It is important and interesting to keep your finger on the pulse of the market. Right now, the big questions we all ask ourselves is the potential end of the premiumization trend. That encompasses the prestige cuvées, the vintages, the Limited Editions etc. I have always believed that these champagnes are important but that we should not neglect the entry-level ones. These wines need to appeal to the next generation because it is what will allow Champagne to continue to be desirable. We wouldn’t be vigneron if we wanted to make a lot of money. The job of a farmer is work the land, to collect the fruits, to transform and valorize them. There’s no need to try and reach unrealistic heights. We saw what happened to Bordeaux and what is now happening to Burgundy.
What made you decide to go for organic and biodynamic farming methods?
In 2005 I did an internship at Kendall Jackson in California. It wasn’t my choice; I was sent there by the organization in charge of internships because I needed to learn English. It was one of my most revealing internships because it is where I learned everything I did not want to do. As you know Kendall Jackson is in the Monterey region, they have 6000 hectares of vines, they harvest everything mechanically and they use huge wine press. When I came back to the estate, I told myself, Champagne, Côteaux Sud d’Épernay, Chavot these are the most precious things we have and what we need to preserve and showcase. And thus, the idea of organic viticulture and biodynamic practices naturally came to me. My mom always healed us with homeopathy, so we already had in us this inclination toward a more natural approach as opposed to chemical. The idea of an organic viticulture is to preserver the environment and as well as our health.
We never own our land; we receive it from the previous generation, and we pass it on to the next one in a better condition as much as possible. For me the whole concept is to transmit it to my children or nieces and nephews in a few years in excellent conditions. And above all, this kind of farming allow us to elaborate terroir-driven wines of better quality. So more than an ideology or religion, it is a tool for me.
Do you have any upcoming projects?
Yes, we have two projects that we just put in place which will be reflected in our wines in a few years. In Champagne we have the old grapes. We produce a cuvée called “Les Septs” (the seven) which is made with all 7 allowed grapes in Champagne including Petit Meslier. We are part of the vignerons who believe that Petit Meslier is a grape that brings diversity, helps retain freshness and will also allow us to face climate change in the years to come. The weather tends to change towards more heat than cold which means more alcohol and less freshness. Today out of our 13 hectares we have one hectare of Petit Meslier. It is a lot and rare in Champagne. This is a personal choice but for me that grape is useful today and will be even more useful tomorrow. Half of my friends think I am crazy, and the other half think I am a genius. The reality is probably somewhere in the middle. When plant these vines, it is for the next 60-80 years. I laughed about it telling myself that my children will later say “How lucky were we to have a dad who planted Petit Meslier in 2015” or they will say “what a mistake that was. They must be pulled out”. Time will tell. Nevertheless, today we are happy to be able to add 4% of Petit Meslier in the Ultradition blend. We use it as a spice to bring freshness.
Secondly, we recently expanded our winery. Our method is primarily: fermentation, choice of yeast, ageing on lees, vinification in wood barrels, foudre, wine tanks made of stainless steel or wine tanks made of concrete. The latter is what my grandparents built in the 80s. And now with the support of my wife and parents, I decided to add more concrete tanks to age and conserve our reserve wines. Concrete is a material that has a little porosity which allows the wine to preserve its minerality. This idea seemed essential today and I believe it will be indispensable tomorrow.
This is why we launched these two projects side by side. On the production side, the Petit Meslier vines will bring us diversity, aromas and freshness, and, on the vinification side, the concrete tanks will increase our storage capacity while always maintaining this freshness.
You’re the mastermind behind “Terres et Vins” - a collective of progressive and highly respected winegrowers in Champagne embracing a more site-sensitive ethos. Can you tell us more about this group?
Raphaël Bérêche and I founded the collective. The first edition was in 2009 with the Vins Clairs from the 2008 harvest. Back then we were single and had the time to do a lot of tastings with our friends. We were thirsty for knowledge and eager to share our wine experiences. We also realized that sommeliers, journalists, distributors etc., were customarily doing the same circuit when visiting Champagne meaning they would first come see me, then go to Bérêche, Agrapart, Champagne Tarlant and Fabrice Pouillon. It then organically morphed into this gathering in one specific spot of vignerons who share the same convictions and viticultural ethic (highlighting the terroir, giving priority to natural and dynamic work methods, respect of the environment) with journalists, sommeliers, and champagne purists. The idea was for the vignerons to present their Vins Clairs from the previous year to give, in the span of four hours, a clear vision on the profile of the year on all four terroirs (Aube, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims), on all three grapes and give a reading on the different types of vinification process. It was quite fascinating for us to have so much diversity, we felt like kids in a toy store. Today, the event has evolved into something bigger called “Le Printemps des Champagnes”.
My main issue is that over the years we have put on a hat on each vigneron associating them with the group or collective they belong to. Because of social media and mainstream media, it gave this image of clans. We’re friend with many other vignerons who are not members of Terres et Vins. And this is what I truly want to show: the diversity.
It does feel like we’re getting away from the original concept. Our goal is not to break the current codes of Champagne and of that week of festivities. We are nevertheless very militant within our collective about not diverting from our educational values and quest for authenticity. My approach is one of pedagogy, not business. For instance, we used to present the 2009 Grandes Crayéres opposite the 2004 vintage which was already on the market. That allowed people to make the parallel between the Vins Clairs and the champagne. For me, in terms of interpretation and comprehension there is nothing better. That was our idea with Raphaël. Today within our company I have a collaborator who helps conduct onsite visits. We reinstated a tasting room and host 3 to 4 visits a week. It is a technical visit during which we share with our clients our convictions and work ethics. My goal is to give people the knowledge and focus on authenticity, I think that is the best marketing tool.
Do you have any memorable Champagne moments?
There are plenty of moments for different reasons.
When I came back to the house and I wanted to show my parents the path I wanted to go, I went to a wine store to buy two 2001 vintages: one from Agrapart and the other from Francis Boullard. Tasting these bottles with my parents was a real moment of discovery and exchange, and, most importantly, a moment of projection into the future. I told them this was what I wanted to do, and they said “OK”. For me these are powerful moments.
More recently, back in November 2024, some of my friends on the Coteaux Sud d’Épernay and I were able to do something more intimate than Terre et Vins. We call it “On Dirait le Sud” – a nod to Léo Ferré’s song. We’re a total of five vignerons and we invite 20 to 30 people, and we tour the vineyards, talk about the soil, the terroir, the techniques and we taste the Vins Clairs. It is the same idea of sharing and values as Terre et Vins but at a smaller scale and 100% focused on the Coteaux Sud d’Épernay. During that event my friend Antonin Michel of Domaine José Michel brought a 1943 champagne made of 100% Meunier which he shared with us. That was such a special and emotional moment because this was a wine that was made during World War II by women only since men were on the battlefield. It profoundly moved me.
Another moment was with my in-laws who reside in Bouzy. They were not familiar with the wines of Marie-Noelle Ledru. She is a strongminded woman with a tenacious temperament who used to produce exceptional wines but stopped a few years ago. Because they were not seeing her as someone very friendly, they never wanted to taste her wines. When I hosted a blind tasting and made them drink her wine they said “Wow this is good. Who is it?” I told them it was their neighbor in the next-door village. For me it was a great satisfaction to make them discover something new
All these are part of the many interesting and unforgettable Champagne moments I have had in my life.
For more information go to: https://www.champagne-laherte.com