Germigny - Janvry - Rosnay, the three villages, founders of the wine cooperative created in 1861, entrusted the latter with the prime function of pressing and storing the grapes. As Yves Auguste–son of the soil who has become the president–explains this summer, “this structure was avant-gardist. From the seventies, the cooperative keeps one third of its production for its members, grants the trade another third, and sales a third to the consumer”.
A Champagne that has been marketed in the eighties under the brand “Prestige des Sacres” let by the member Jean-Paul Drubay. The legitimacy of this brand, which grants itself the Crown of France topped with a lily flower as an emblem, is based on its terroir, on “its crus, nearest to Reims’ cathedral, of course served for the coronation”, dixit the new sales manager Frédéric Gauthier.
Wines that are reckoned as “sharpish, delicate, of tawny colour”. Attractive wines for their fruitiness, of which 2010 sales represent 400,000 bottles (82% in France and 18% at export). The non-vintage Brut Cuvée totals 50% of the sales and received not less than a dozen medals in Paris as in London. In front of this flood of awards, the president admits that his objective is to market, on the horizon 2015, the two thirds of his production i. e. 600,000 bottles. And acquires new equipment to reach it.. 
After having increased the storage up to 800,000 bottles in the basement and complemented the old-style vathouse with a stainless-steel thermoregulated vatroom, Yves Auguste extends and modernizes the reception room. He covers the walls with steel, glass and dark wood, and opens it on the vineyard with three 10-meter arched French windows. Still on the ground floor, he creates a large meeting room with an adjacent tasting space and installs all the offices on the same level. At the first floor a beautiful reception room is fitted out. For the most demanding connoisseurs, he also digs a new cellar in the underground where are stored brand-new wooden barrels containing a new cuvee that will come out in 2012. Its name is secret. It is composed of 2/3 Chardonnay and 1/3 Pinot Meunier.
At last, in order to give more visual impact to its ‘Prestige des Sacres’ cuvees, he changes the labelling and, prestige obliges, gives the labels and coordinate foil-caps the colours of the crown jewels of France: the Brut and the Rosé Prestige respectively adorn themselves with sapphire and pink ruby, the Blanc de Blancs Dynasty with emerald, the vintage 2004 with garnet and the Semi-dry with amber.
This brand rooted in the terroir of the Kings’ wine and seems to have a brilliant future, “the harvest 2011 appears to be generous”, as the president underlines. “The area is privileged: it did not suffer from climatic hazard. With over 14,000 kg per hectare, we picked up only the best bunches!”
A vintage year? To be continued…
MC Bourrellis
Champagne Prestige des Sacres
Coopérative de Janvry
Route de Germigny
51390 JANVRY
Tél.: +33 (0)3 26 03 63 40
Fax: +33 (0)3 26 03 66 93
www.champagne-prestigedessacres.com
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