The House

The story of the Boulonnais family has been written in Vertus since 1870. For five generations, the vine has been part of the family’s life and shaped its days, on these slopes of the Côte des Blancs where chalk plays an essential role. Over time, the land has been handed down, generations have succeeded one another and the family estate has evolved. When the original estate was divided among the members of the family, Jean-Paul Boulonnais chose to carry this story forward by founding his own house. He set up in continuity with what already existed, within the historic buildings of the Boulonnais family, which remain the heart of the House to this day.

Jean-Paul gradually developed the estate that bears his name, carrying on the work of the vines and the making of Champagne in Vertus. These walls have come through the years and the harvests, witnesses to a savoir-faire that evolves without ever losing its roots. In 2010, Frédéric Boulonnais took over the House in turn. He carries on the work begun by his father, guides the estate as it evolves and continues to build its identity around Chardonnay, the Vertus terroir and wines given all the time they need in the cellar.

Today, a new handover is being prepared. Axel Boulonnais represents the fifth generation and is getting ready to continue the family story. With it comes the wish to preserve what has been built, while bringing a fresh eye to the work in the vineyard, the wines and the House. For while practices change and each generation naturally leaves its mark, the common thread remains the same: Vertus, its vines, its chalk and a family story that began more than 150 years ago.

Five generations later, the story continues where it began.

At the southern tip of the Côte des Blancs, Vertus has a singular identity, shaped by chalk and by the complementarity of its grape varieties. Here, Chardonnay naturally finds its place. Rooted in a chalky subsoil, it gives wines marked by finesse, freshness and tension, the emblematic signatures of our terroir.

But Vertus is not only about Chardonnay. Pinot Noir also holds a historic and recognised place here. More present than in the north of the Côte des Blancs, it expresses itself with fruit, depth and elegance. The village long stood out for the quality of its red Coteaux Champenois, a sign of how well the Vertus terroir reveals this grape.

This meeting of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is what makes Vertus so rich: the finesse and minerality of one, the fruit and structure of the other, brought together on the same chalk soil.

It is from this diversity, so deeply rooted in Vertus, that our Champagnes draw their identity.

In the vineyard, every gesture counts. We strive to work with precision, to observe before intervening and to support the vine as closely as possible, respecting its natural balance.

Certified High Environmental Value (HVE) level 3, our estate follows an approach that pays close attention to the soils, to biodiversity and to the environment around us. This commitment guides our daily work, with the aim of limiting interventions wherever possible and preserving our terroir for the long term.

Because for us, a great Champagne is first built in the vineyard.