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ducers challenging the rarified world of big
champagne makers. Starting about two decades
ago, they focus on limited production and higher
quality over mass-market output. On the home
page of Frerejean Frères’ website, the words “fine
craft champagne” are the first to appear.
Yet this revolution has gone largely unheralded
outside the spirits industry’s trade media. That
may be about to change, as artisanal producers
gain accolades for their unique bubbly. “These
craft champagnes are starting to take a lot of
market share,” says Frerejean Taittinger. “No one
focused [before] on these small maisons, but
now I see more of them on wine lists.” Frerejean
Frères champagne is available in Le Bernardin in
New York, Guy Savoy in Paris and Odette in Sin-
gapore—all Michelin three-star restaurants.
Frerejean Frères now retails in Australia, Hong
Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thai-
land and Vietnam and recently started selling in
mainland China. Japan is the maison’s first and
still its largest market in Asia. “The Japanese love
artisanal champagne,” says Frerejean Taittinger.
As part of his duties as CEO, Frerejean Taittinger
travels the world to promote his champagne, in-
cluding trips to Asia.
Frerejean Taittinger’s dedication to quality can
be seen in his production process. While cham-
pagne producers in France are required by the
Comité Champagne, an industry group that reg-
ulates production, to age their bubbly for a min-
imum of 15 months, Frerejean Frères ages its
for a minimum of six years, and sometimes up
to 15—the extra time adding complexity and fi-
nesse. “My father always asks me, ‘Why do you
age your champagne for so long? Financially it’s
wrong,’” he says with a chuckle. “But we want to
take our time.”
He uses only chardonnay or pinot noir grapes
from either premier cru or grand cru vineyards,
the two highest grades. The dedication appears to
be paying off: his 2012 Cuvée des Hussards Extra
Brut Premier Cru champagne was ranked 97 out
of 100 in the prestigious Decanter World Wine
Awards held last year in London. According to the
award’s tasting notes: “The palate is pure velvet
and savory, braced with toasted nut and the mer-
est hint of smoke. Accomplished winemaking!”
Frerejean Taittinger’s entry in 2005 into cham-
pagne entrepreneurship came the same year the
Taittinger clan sold its family business, including
the champagne brand and other assets such as
hotels, to the U.S. private equity firm Starwood.
Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger bought back the
brand about 18 months later, minus the other as-
sets. Yet the short-lived sale of this iconic French
brand to a brash, profit-driven American finan-
cial firm caused a stir in the champagne world.
Frerejean Taittinger demurs if the sale influ-
enced him to go out on his own with his brothers.
That decision, he says, was really to do “a passion
project.” Notably, another member of the family,
Virginie Taittinger, also left in 2006 to start her
own champagne brand, called Virginie T.
At Frerejean Frères, the three brothers split
their roles: Rodolphe became CEO, cofounder and
U.S. director Richard is in New York overseeing
the critical U.S. market, cofounder and chairman
Guillaume lives in Paris to manage production and
overall operations. The company has about 30 em-
ployees, with about 20 in Paris, and the rest in the
company’s headquarters in Avize, a town situated
in the heart of the Champagne region.
The company produces its champagnes from
about five hectares of its own vineyards, supple-
mented with grapes bought from other grow-
ers. Frerejean Frères is also buying another five
hectares. Prices per bottle can range from about
€39 ($43) to €600 for European customers, but
are generally higher in Asia Pacific due to local
markups. This year the maison is launching two
new cuvées, a blanc de blancs premier cru extra
brut and a limited production rosé grand cru.
“We try to be a new generation of [champagne]
producer,” says Frerejean Taittinger, “speaking to
a new generation of customers.”
From left: Rodolphe,
Richard and Guillaume
Frerejean Taittinger;
Rodolphe (on his
mother’s lap) was bap-
tized with champagne
as a baby.
Blanc de Blancs NV
Premier Cru and
Grand Cru VV26
(bottom).
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