Champagne Boutillez Marchand Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru Extra-Brut

Boutillez Marchand is a family estate located in Villers-Marmery in the heart of the Montagne de Reims. It was established in 1960 by Robert Butie and his wife, Francoise Marchand and was taken over by their daughter in 1997. 97% of the vineyards are planted with Chardonnay and the remaining 3% with Pinot Noir. Work in the vineyard is carried out mainly by hand. Chardonnay is the flagship product of Butieux-Marchand. Boutillez Marchand is a Member of Le Cercle des Créateurs de Champagnes Confidentiels, and their Champagnes are oak barrel-influenced. Their Ratafia from 100% Chardonnay (which is more unusual than Pinot-based versions) is produced in a solera with rather long cellaring time.

The village of  Villers-Marmery has a Premier Cru status. Chardonnay dominates in an otherwise Pinot Noir area, 98% of planted vines are Chardonnay and only 1.9% Pinot Noir. Villers-Marmery is a micro-terroir for Chardonnay, in the heart of a region known for its Pinot Noirs. The chalk dominated subsoil brings a particular minerality to the wines, while the sun exposure gives the grapes a stronger maturity than in the Côte des Blancs area, bringing out fruitiness and freshness. The vineyards are found on east-facing slopes on the Montagne de Reims and are almost exclusively planted with Chardonnay. Villers-Marmery and three other neighbouring villages are sometimes called the Perle blanche and were elevated to premier cru status in 1985.