90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, 80% from Bouzy and 20% from Ambonnay, all grown on brown chalk; the vines are an average of 35 years old. Lahaye's Brut Nature is a fine example of the clarity one can achieve in non-dosage Champagne. It rips.

Benoit Lahaye

Benoit Lahaye is located in Bouzy, a grand cru village in the Montagne de Reims. His family has been making Champagne there since the 1930s, and today he works in the winery with his wife Valérie and their two sons. The domaine, which covers a surface area of 4.8 hectares, is situated in the regions of Bouzy (3.2 hectares), Ambonnay (1 ha), and Tauxières (0.6 ha). Bouzy brings structure, power, and fruit to the wines while Ambonnay brings acidity and roundness. The estate is mainly planted with Pinot Noir (just under 90%) on south- and southwest-facing slopes. The vines average 35 to 40 years old. The total production is less than 40,000 bottles per year.

Lahaye uses only his own compost and organic manure to enrich his soil. Various herb infusions are also applied, along with other fermented extracts from plants and essential oils in order to combat plant disease. Since 2009, Lahaye has also been applying biodynamic principles to further improve the expression of his terroir and reveal the full potential of his soil and vines. He says that the switch to biodynamic practices has brought higher potential alcohol at harvest, but also higher acidity. His 9-year-old work horse Tamise, who became part of the family in 2010, leads Benoit around the vineyards, plowing the soil and spreading compost. 

In 2010, the estate was certified biodynamic by Biodyvin. In the cellar, the work is as minimal as possible. The major part of the vinification is achieved in 225-liter barrels, without any chaptalization and using only natural yeasts. The wine spends 10 months on its lees without racking. All the wines go through 100% malolactic fermentation—with the biodynamic practices, Lahaye is not afraid of losing too much acidity but, more than anything, he is against stopping the malolactic by adding sulfur. The barrels are in a new above-ground chai that has large windows so that the wine sees the seasons before being put in bottle.