Hélène Charbaut is one of the new faces of Champagne worth keeping your eye on. She grew up immersed in the world of wine as the daughter of Xavier Charbaut, part of a long line of Champagne growers at the Guy Charbaut estate. Her passion deepened over time. After attending business school in Dijon, a commercial role at Leclerc Briant made her realise she needed a more hands-on connection to wine. Without hesitation, she enrolled in a two-year vocational diploma in viticulture and oenology, gaining her first hands-on experience in winemaking at Pehu Simonet. The calling was confirmed. Returning to the family estate in 2020, she began working alongside her parents while simultaneously establishing her own venture, producing Champagnes under her own name, according to her own vision.
Hélène works with Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, taking great care to understand what each terroir – Bisseuil, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Avenay Val d’Or and others – has to offer. She is not afraid to isolate individual parcels or, conversely, to blend others, and she continues to experiment with new approaches, from alternative vessels to cover crops. Her focus lies particularly on single-varietal, vintage cuvées. She relies exclusively on spontaneous fermentations with native yeasts and adopts a low-intervention approach in oak barrels (for now), without fining or filtration. Her creative spirit is also reflected in her labels, which pay tribute to the grape varieties she holds so dear.