Champagne Roger Coulon

France, Champagne

Eric and Isabelle Coulon, now joined by their children Edgar and Louise, have around 11 hectares of vines in Premier and Grand Cru sites in Vrigny, Gueux and Coulommes-la-Montagne on the Montagne de Reims, and Chouilly on the Côte des Blancs. The vineyards are farmed organically under the principles of agroforestry. They are justly proud of the history of the vineyard, which goes back to the cultivation of vines here in the 6th century, and also of their own long family history, with Edgar and Louise being the ninth generation.

The vines are in around 100 parcels, so although they aim to press by parcel, some do end up going together. Around one third is vinified in tank, the rest in barrel. Both Edgar and Louise have trained in wine-making elsewhere, Louise at Domaine Ott, and Edgar with Philippe Pacalet and Fredéric Cossard in Burgundy, but also in England and Australia.

The family aim to pick at decent maturity, to give the wines a natural balance and feel, and the maximum dosage used is 3g/l. The second fermentation is at around 4.5-4.8 bar, a little lower than the classical 5 bar, giving what Eric describes as 'measured effervescence'. 'I make wine of Champagne not Champagne', he adds, 'Everything at Roger Coulon needs to be harmonious, that's what counts the most for me'.

Today, Edgar and Louise, children of Eric and Isabelle Coulon, farm 11 hectares divided into 115 parcels in the northern Montagne de Reims, mostly in Vrigny and its environs, where Pinot Meunier, growing in sandy soils, dominates—with one parcel ungrafted, and all of it, in the Coulon's case, derived from massal selections. While Pinot Meunier represents half of the surface, 25% is dedicated to Pinot Noir, with the remainder to Chardonnay (including a plot in Chouilly). Viticulture, certified organic since 2019, is progressive, reducing plowing and utilizing natural cover crops to control humidity, thus mitigating disease pressure (as Pinot Meunier is susceptible to rot), and it follows agroforestry initiatives. Much like Eric’s brother-in-law, Francis Egly, the Coulons believe in picking late to achieve full physiological maturity.

In the cellar, all cuvées see oak barrels, mostly 228- and 600-liter from Tonnellerie de Mercurey, Damy and Cavin. Around 10% to 15% of the barrels are renewed each year, though new oak is never featured in their single-parcel cuvées. Since Edgar’s arrival, the wines now undergo full malolactic fermentation, and the target is some 4.5 atmospheres of pressure, as opposed to the more standard six. Sulfites are only used during pressing, and in years where conditions allow, the wines are vinified entirely sulfite-free. Dosage is low (a maximum of three grams per liter), with a number of cuvées disgorged without any dosage at all.

These are rich, intensely flavored Champagnes, sometimes with oxidative character, lent a particular texture and grain by their emphasis on Pinot Meunier growing on sand. Kristaps Karlklins, The Wine Advocate  (May 2025)


Roger Coulon remains one of the under-the-radar names in Champagne. Readers will find a number of gorgeous wines in this range, including the new Coteaux Champenois. I find a purity in these Champagnes that is hard to fully describe with words. It’s a sort of transparency - an expression of vintage, variety and place - that is both singular and compelling. Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com  (May 2023)


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