Eric Rodez

Grand Cru Champagne from certified organic cultivation

Region: Montagne de Reims
Annual production: approx. 45'000 bottles
Size: 6 hectares
Grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Eric Rodez is the 8th generation to produce champagne. He has an almost magical mastery of the complex assemblage technique like no other. He laid the foundations for this expertise during his years at Krug as cellar master, where he was responsible for the house's Grand Cuvée, until he began working as an independent RM (Récoltant-Manipulant) in 1984.

He is now supported by his son Mikhael in the family business and, on his initiative, the Rodez have also started to vinify single-vineyard wines. This was not an easy step for Eric because there is hardly any blending involved. Today, however, this champagne house divides its creations into assemblage, single vineyard and terroir wines (different vineyards from one area). The masterpieces that father and son create in this way can hardly be surpassed in terms of filigree and finesse.

Eric started just as innovatively in 1989 with the conversion to a biodynamic winery, which has been certified organic several times since 2017. He should only be approached cautiously on the subject of harvest quantities, because vines like those of other producers, which bend to the ground under the weight of countless grapes, are not his goal: "Every year we harvest larger and larger yields and thus jeopardize the quality of the product, on whose reputation our continued existence depends!" he explains.

Eric Rodez, influenced by his time at Krug, is almost obsessive when it comes to ageing individual parcels: he vinifies 60 different base wines from 35 parcels, some with malolactic fermentation, some in tanks, but the majority in used wood. He is convinced that wood gives the champagne additional complexity and complexity. Every year, the two Rodez develop blends and compositions that are all the more complex than their ingredients. Eric justifiably compares this creative process to that of a musician and composer and enthuses: "Every year a completely new symphony is created!".

Rodez champagnes are characterized by a pronounced "vinosity", paired with multi-layered complexity, finesse and elegance. The house stands for sustainability and is Demeter-certified, as well as "certifié Agriculteur Biologique et Biodynamique" and "certifié Haute Valeur Environnementale".

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