Winegrowers’ portraits Verzenay
House Janisson & Fils
"My mother exploited six hectares in Verzenay, Verzy and Mailly, and my father five hectares in Mailly, Chigny, Essomes. I used to help them when I was young and thus got in the field their savoir-faire. I complemented my education with a training in viticulture and enology at Avize. At the age of 20, I started working in the brokerage, at 25 in the trade. In 1996, I created a fermentation cellar in the heart of Verzenay and launched my Champagne house. Beside the development of the house, in 2012 I added the building of an impressive new cellar. The terroir of Verzenay classed 100% Grand Cru deserves it.”
The domain Janisson now exploits 9 hectares mainly located in the Montagne de Reims and benefits from 65h of supply. Manuel defends the word Mountain although it is only 250m at its highest point, an altitude, he believes, is enough to make the difference. The best plots are those on the sides in the highest third. They produce wines with spicy aromas, with a pure taste of fruits, length on the palate and enable to craft high-end cuvées. “Each cru of the Mountain of Reims has an asserted character. Verzy signs the great black varieties with its taste of flint; Verzenay has a beautiful bouquet; Mailly has volume and complexity; Ludes and Chigny-les-Roses provide fruitiness, lightness and roundness”.
In the heart of the Grand Cru terroir of Verzenay, stands the House Janisson & fils, a minimalist and pure belvedere, created by Giovanni Pacce, with a 360° panorama over the vineyard, the lighthouse of Verzenay and the mill.
Champagne Janisson & Fils
11 rue de Beaumont • 51360 VERZENAY • Tél. +33 (0)3 26 49 40 19