The Trouillard family has been part of the Champagne business in Epernay since the 19th century with Lucien Trouillard, the founder, showing an interest in Champagne at an early age. He produced his first bottles in 1896, at the age of 17, and then went on to establish his own sales and distribution company (“Sparnacienne Niticole”). When he passed away in 1966, his two sons took over the operation, followed by his grandsons Luc and Bertrand. In 1979, the House of Trouillard became one of the most important houses in the champagne business. In 2006, Maison Trouillard joined forces with the Gobillard family, a 5th generation Champagne house who shared the history, passion and philosophy of the Trouillard family. They are located in Hauvillers – the heart of Champagne – 5 kilometers from Epernay, at the crossroads between the Marne Valley and the Montagne de Reims. Hautvillers is where Dom Perignon produced his first Champagne in 1668 – his grave is just 10 meters from the Gobillard property.
Today the Trouillard and Gobillard families own 30 hectares of vines located primarily in Hautvillers’s Premier Cru vineyard. The winery is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, balancing new quality assurance methods with champenoise traditions. Grapes are hand-harvest end of September-early October, then pressed to maintain the freshness and fragrance of the fruit. Winemaker Thierry Gobillard uses only the first press or cuvée to ensure authenticity and quality. Temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks allow clear wines with true-to-type and fresh aromas.
Storage is an important element of the Champagne method. Part of the wines is stored in the new air-conditioned facility and the other part in the cellars that are dug into the plaster. In both locations, darkness and constant temperature ensure that Champagne achieves perfect maturation. This is followed by a manual (70%) and automatic (30%) remuage, and then after disgorging, the Champagne is stored for at least 3 months before release to obtain a perfect homogeneity.
