François Secondé, Champagne Brut Grand Cru, À Sillery, Champagne, France NV

Golden yellow hue, highlighted by a string of sparkling bubbles. The nose is mineral and floral with notes of freshly baked pastries. The palate is balanced with hints of rich, lightly toasted brioche, and exotic fruit.

For centuries, Sillery has been known as the region which produces some of the most sought after Champagnes in the world. Right at the heart of this renowned terroir, you will find Champagne François Secondé, a vineyard covering an area of just over 5 hectares and located in Sillery, Mailly-Champagne, Puisieulx, and Verzenay. François Secondé is an independent wine maker and the only récoltant manipulant (one whose grapes are not sourced, but come from his own vineyard) and producer of pure Sillery Champagne.

At the age of 14, François Secondé left school and started to work as an apprentice in a vineyard. He bought his first vineyard in 1972, and in 1976, he increased his plot to 3 hectares. With the help of his wife Anne-Marie, he started producing his own Champagne. Today, Champagne François Secondé vineyard is 5.5 hectares and harvests two grape varietals: 2/3 Pinots noir, and 1/3 Chardonnay. The vines are 37 years of age on average and are farmed in a sustainable way with respect to both nature and man. As of 2023, François Secondé uses zero herbicides or insecticides on the entire vineyard.