A union of two Champagne houses, Champagne Marguet was formed around 1875, Champagne Bonnerave Frères was founded in 1905. In 2005 the Marguet-Bonnerave house became Champagne Marguet Père et Fils.

Fifth generation Benoît Marguet handles his family’s vines with great dexterity, some of which are farmed biodynamically. The vineyards are scattered but the grapes come primarily from premier and grand cru villages, namely Ambonnay, Bouzy and Mailly on the Côte des Noirs.

In addition to using grapes from his own vineyards, Benoît also buys in grapes from like-minded producers from other highly esteemed villages such as Verzy, Mareuil sur Ay, Cumières and Rilly la Montagne. The addition of grapes from these different crus brings extra complexity to the assemblage.

Farmed organically and where possible biodynamically, the base wines from each cru are vinified separately in tanks and small oak barrels. In keeping with the tenets of biodynamism, work in the vineyard and winery is carried out according to the lunar cycle wherever possible.

91 Points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: (a 50/50 blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, all from Ambonnay, Bouzy and Mailly; L0905): Bright yellow. Ripe pear and nectarine aromas are lifted and sharpened by a note of Meyer lemon. Smoky and focused on the palate, offering concentrated, refreshingly bitter pear skin and citrus pith flavors that become fleshier with aeration. Finishes on a gently smoky note, with very good clarity and persistence and a hint of iodine.

18/20 Jancis Robinson (2010 vintage)