Wine as a creation

Bruno Paillard is a boutique, family-run and independent house which, since its founding in 1981, has been free to pursue a single ideal: to express the chalky, northern character of Champagne in the purest, most personal and most faithful way possible. For the Paillard family, this is an aesthetic quest based on a clear vision of Champagne wines as creations: a meeting of Man and Nature. Through its wines, the House is committed to a quest for excellence in order to make a renewed and lasting contribution to Champagne.

This ambition is underpinned by deeply held convictions, from which the House has never deviated: the exclusive use of first-press juice, the significant inclusion of reserve wines—accounting for up to 50% of the blends—extra-brut dosages, and double maturation periods before and after disgorgement, the date of which is indicated on all bottles. Respect for living organisms guides the management of the 25-hectare vineyard, which provides the bulk of the supply. The technical approach aims to foster biodiversity, soil life and deep root development in the vines, drawing on the chalky soils of the terroirs.

True to its principles, the House is constantly evolving, introducing technical improvements and refining its blends to come closer to its ideal of Champagne. Every decision is a reflection, a tribute to the Champagne of the pioneers who had to invent everything from scratch.

Bruno Paillard invites all seasoned connoisseurs and curious explorers alike to step into the intimate world of ‘its’ Champagne and discover a personal, sincere and creative interpretation of it.

Art & Bruno Paillard

Excerpt from Champagne dans l’Art by Jean-Marie Pinçon

For Bruno Paillard, Art and Champagne are a natural pairing. An indisputable alliance. Why? ‘Champagne is, above all, a blended wine: the winemaker can blend grape varieties with one another, as well as different crus and vintages, and all three together, in countless combinations. The creation of blends is, in itself, an artistic process, a creation. This rule of blending has its exceptions, such as vintage Champagnes, which are produced from a single year, whether they are single-vineyard wines or blends of wines from multiple origins and various grape varieties. Due to the nature of the climate, this varies from one year to the next. The winemaker may choose to smooth out these differences between vintages. Conversely, they may prefer to highlight these differences. For my part, I have chosen the latter approach: to emphasise the true characteristics of the year. The synthesis is there; it is both the rule and the exception.”

For him, then, Champagne is art in everyday life. Painters, too, work day in, day out. “Why not build a bridge between the two?” Indeed, Bruno Paillard wanted to personalise his vintages and express their character on the bottle label. Not just through the regulatory information, which he felt was a little austere, but through a visual message. A message that is understandable to connoisseurs but can also be absorbed subconsciously by everyone else. Once the theme has been chosen following a tasting of the vintage, Bruno Paillard considers which artists might be able to translate the chosen theme into a visual form. He may be moved by the work or by the artist, often by both in turn.

The result is a unique gallery-cum-home, boasting a diverse collection of works whose richness is enhanced by their variety. Thus, from one painting to the next, the history of Champagne’s golden years unfolds within this contemporary space, conceived by an art lover who feels a deep connection with the artists of his time.