Cédric Bouchard has become one of the superstars of grower Champagne, with his Roses de Jeanne wines produced in tiny quantities and heavily allocated. He is based in the Côte des Bar in the southern part of Champagne, far away from the traditional heartland around Reims and Épernay, and has built his reputation with a very individual approach: tiny vineyard parcels, single varieties and an emphasis on purity and the character of each site. I had seen him twice before in Zurich at the Carl Studer tastings (see picture above) and already liked his Champagnes very much there, so I was particularly happy when Dominique Schuwey, a wine friend brought a range of bottles to our tasting last night.
They showed brilliantly: incredibly precise and delicate, but also quite different from what one normally associates with Champagne.
- There is only 4.5 bar of bubbles vs. the 6 bar Champagne standard
- There is very little of the typical yeasty, brioche character; instead, the wines are all about pure fruit, flowers, spice, texture and a very direct expression of the vineyard.
- What I find particularly astonishing is the combination of zero dosage with such generosity. These are not lean or austere wines at all—quite the opposite. They can be wonderfully succulent and creamy while remaining fresh, precise and almost weightless. A fascinating and very distinctive interpretation of Champagne.
Tasting Notes
Flight 1 – Warm up
2022 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne VV/R22 – 96 Points
A superb nose of quince and apricot, with considerable richness and a lovely array of spices. Very vinous, helped by the unusually low pressure of just 4.5 bar. The palate is creamy and succulent, yet beautifully precise, with excellent length. Rich without heaviness. So seductive, 96+.
2022 Vouette et Sorbée Champagne Fidèle – 91 Points
Cut apple and lots of wild aromas on the nose, followed by prominent acidity and a taut, rather angular palate. There is also a slightly funky, natural-wine element and the finish is relatively short. Characterful and very much in the Vouette & Sorbée house style, though certainly not for everyone.
Flight 2 – Blanc de Blanc including the rare Pinot Blanc wine Bolorée
2016 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Blancs La Bolorée – 96 Points
A beautiful nose of white peach, pear and Reine-Claude plum. This feels almost like a hybrid between Champagne and a fine still white wine. Very vinous and floral, with none of the traditional brioche or yeasty aromas one associates with Champagne. Delicate, pure and fascinatingly different.
NV Pierre Gerbais Champagne (perpetual 2011 – 2020) La Loge – 95+ Points
Wow, what a discovery. Served alongside the five-times-more-expensive La Bolorée, and remarkably popular around a table of seasoned Champagne drinkers. Again, very different from conventional Champagne: little yeast or brioche, but instead white flowers, white peach, herbs and a curious Fine de Bourgogne note. Fresh, distinctive and impressively long. Something quite apart, though perhaps not for the beginner palate.
2016 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Blancs La Haute-Lemblé – 96 Points
This is in a lovely place now, the vintage showing clearly and much more open for business than the younger wine alongside. Elegant and aromatic, with ripe Chardonnay fruit and a beautifully creamy texture. Zero dosage and no oak, yet there is nothing austere about it. Remarkable how Bouchard achieves such generosity while retaining precision.
2022 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Blancs La Haute-Lemblé – 96 Points
Young and fresh, yet already wonderfully creamy. White flowers and bright Chardonnay fruit lead into a pure, precise palate with excellent persistence. Again, none of the yeasty, brioche or croissant notes of more traditional Champagne – not that there is anything wrong with those – but instead an almost crystalline purity of fruit. Very complete and very long.
Flight 4 – Blanc de Noir single vineyards
2020 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne VV/R20 – 97 Points
I love this. Right in the sweet spot now, with ripe fruit, complex spices and an almost surprising sense of sweetness, yet balanced by chalky minerality and proper Champagne freshness. Succulent, precise and wonderfully complete. If you have never experienced Cédric Bouchard, this would be a terrific place to start.
2020 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Millésimé Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules – 97 Points
Aromatically quite similar to the VV/R20 alongside, though with more red fruit and slightly softer acidity. There is a lovely chalky quality through the mid-palate, giving definition to the ripe fruit. Broad but controlled, with very good persistence. A top showing.
2014 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Cote de Bechalin – 98 Points
Still remarkably light in colour despite its age. An extraordinary wine, combining so much of what great grower Champagne can offer. There is the natural sweetness of perfectly ripe grapes, allied to floral notes, fresh herbs and a wonderful underlying freshness. Complex, delicate and succulent all at once. I loved this. 98–99
Author: Christian Raubach, WSET III, FWS, WSG Champagne Master
September 2026
