Champagne Roland Boulard & Filles Cuvée Roland Boulard NV (Half Bottle 375mL)

The Boulards got their start by selling their grapes to big houses, or grande marques, but in 2010, they decided to forgo the negociant business and become a recoltant manipulant (RM), or grower producer, instead. With two generations of three daughters each, they added three roses to their griffin family crest, and added the “et Filles”  (“and daughters”) tag to the house name. Along the way, they spent considerable effort cleaning up their existing vineyards and acquiring a few new great sites. Committed to sustainability and stewardship of the land, their 10 hectares of vineyards are certified as High Environmental Value level 3 (HEV-3), which is a rigorous certification few vineyards achieve. Some of their parcels are in historic vineyards, such as in their home village of Cormicy and neighboring Hermonville, too, and they even recently expanded to the Grand Cru vineyards of Mailly.

The house was founded in the 1970s by Roland Boulard in the village of Cormicy. The “et Filles” part is particularly important, as the daughters have always brought their strong female leadership and presence to the house. Today, Champagne Roland Boulard is led by one of Roland’s three daughters, Nathalie, alongside her husband, Benoit. They also had three daughters, all of whom work in the family business today. We had the pleasure of visiting with the entire family at their lovely winery – twice now – and we can genuinely say that this family is the salt of the earth, and entirely enamored with their craft of producing stellar Champagne.

This powerful and bright signature Blanc de Noirs is a blend of 60% Pinot Meunier from the Marne Valley and 40% Pinot Noir from Saint Thierry Massif, 60% of which comes from the 2022 vintage with the rest pulled from the family’s reserves. Twenty months on the lees, with a Brut dosage and malolactic fermentation – this wine is as stunning as Champagne three times the price.

It pours a delicate rose gold, with a soft and creamy mousse, and the aromas are both floral and mineral – a beautiful medley of rose petals and iron ore, with notes of red plums. In the mouth, red cherries abound, with golden apples, black raspberries, and smoky flint. The finish is structured, with a wonderfully spiced accent of black peppercorns and savory herbs. With a medium weight and everlasting finish, this lovely Champagne is overall round, creamy, and powerful as all get out. We’re over the moon to bring you a batch of these glorious half-bottles!