Eric Rodez is a grower in the grand cru village of Ambonnay, making biodynamic Champagne from his own grapes. Every wine is Extra Brut, with low dosage, barrel fermentation and a clear Pinot Noir character.
Eric Rodez: an Ambonnay family since 1757
The Rodez family has grown vines in Ambonnay since 1757 and makes Champagne from its own grapes. Eric Rodez spent time as an oenologist at Krug, and that experience with blending and oak still shapes the house style. He and his wife Martine are now handing the domaine over to their son Mickaël and daughter-in-law Aurélie.
The domaine farms around six hectares spread over some thirty small parcels, all in Ambonnay. Most is Pinot Noir, the rest Chardonnay. Ambonnay sits on the south-eastern side of the Montagne de Reims and is one of Champagne's grand cru villages, known for Pinot Noir with richness, structure and depth. It borders Bouzy, and the two share a reputation for some of Champagne's finest Pinot Noir sites, where south-facing slopes and chalk subsoil give ripe yet fresh grapes.
Biodynamic farming and parcel-by-parcel winemaking
The vineyards have been certified organic since 2012 and biodynamic by Demeter since 2015. In the same year as its organic certification the domaine also gained France's HVE environmental certification.
In the cellar each parcel is vinified separately, and much of the wine is fermented in oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation is not encouraged, so only part of the wine goes through it, keeping freshness and tension. The low dosage lets the grapes and the chalk come through.
Cuvée des Crayères, Blanc de Noirs and Grands Vintages
Cuvée des Crayères is the house's grand cru blend from Ambonnay and the classic way into the style: generous yet fresh, with notes of ripe apple, brioche and chalk. The Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru is pure Pinot Noir and shows Ambonnay's power and red fruit, while the Blanc de Blancs is pure Chardonnay with more tension and citrus.
Cuvée des Grands Vintages is the house's most ambitious wine: a blend of several great vintages, around 70 percent Pinot Noir and 30 percent Chardonnay. Eric Rodez describes it as a mille-feuille of vintages, each layer adding something. It is fermented and aged in barrel with only partial malolactic fermentation.
Explore more Champagne, or go straight to Blanc de Noirs and Blanc de Blancs.
Eric Rodez questions and answers
Is Eric Rodez a grower or a Champagne house?
A grower. The Champagnes are made only from the domaine's own grapes in Ambonnay, not from bought-in fruit as at the big houses.
Is Eric Rodez biodynamic?
Yes. The domaine has been certified organic since 2012 and Demeter biodynamic since 2015.
What does Extra Brut mean?
That very little sugar is added at disgorgement, less than in a standard Brut. The result is dry, precise wines where fruit and soil come through clearly.
What food goes with Eric Rodez?
Cuvée des Crayères and the Blanc de Blancs suit oysters and shellfish. The Blanc de Noirs and Grands Vintages can take poultry, veal and aged cheeses.