Canard-Duchêne

The Champagne House, based in Ludes, was founded in 1868 by Victor Canard and his wife Léonie Duchêne. In 1890 it was taken over by their two sons Edmond and Alfred. The house the house advanced to the purveyor to the court of Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918). The family coat of arms with the Russian double eagle and the insignia of the champagne sabre dates from this time. On the occasion of the company's 100th anniversary, Canard-Duchêne acted as sponsor at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. In 1978, the company came into the possession of Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin, which contributed significantly to the brand's success. It was later taken over by the LVMH group, together with this house, and finally bought by Alain Thiénot in October 2003. The champagnes mature for an average of three years in cellars whose corridors run for six kilometres through the chalk cliffs of the Montagne de Reims. The "Brut" is composed of 35-40% Pinot Noir, 35-40% Pinot Meunier and 22-25% Chardonnay. The Cuvée de Prestige, with more than a third of the production, is the cuvée named after the French King Charles VII. (1403-1461), who owed his coronation in Reims in 1429 to Joan of Arc. It is assembled from over 70% Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. There is also a "Rosé" with additional Chardonnay. About three million bottles are produced annually, of which only about five percent come from the company's own vineyards of 15 hectares.