By Camille Bernard – Photographs: courtesy of the estates, posted on 24 March 2025
As the custodians of ancient skills and crucial link in the chain of memory, every year cellar masters craft blends that epitomise their unique house style. But their role is not just to craft wines – they are a vital cog in the wheel of knowledge sharing, training the upcoming generation to take on the mantle of ‘alchemist’ where every detail counts. We take a closer look at these ‘architects of flavour’ and key contributors to the Champagne landscape.
In the very private setting of the Champagne houses, the cellar masters orchestrate the subtle alchemy of blending every year. However, their task does not just involve crafting outstanding Champagnes – it is more akin to a perpetual quest to balance scientific rigour with artistic intuition, in order to safeguard and perpetuate their house style. That’s because each house boasts its own unique, inherent spirit, its inimitable signature style that the cellar master applies rigorously. From varietal proportions to management of reserve wines and specific dosage, each blend reflects carefully thought-through choices stemming from expertise that combines both science and instinct. They also have to contend with the vagaries of nature – sometimes fickle harvests and climate change – whilst continuing to guarantee the continuity of the house style.
Their perspective is not just trained on the present. As alchemists, they are crucial links in the chain of memory, training their successors. This lengthy process demands patience and precision but also something that cannot be learnt in books – the sensitivity and vision required to perpetuate a style.
Through these portraits of cellar masters, this report shines the spotlight on the challenges of a demanding profession where every gesture counts but where time remains the most faithful ally. From the Montagne de Reims to the Côte des Blancs, Champagne’s key players share their passion for an art that leaves no room for improvisation.
Cédric Thiébault has been cellar master at Maison Besserat de Bellefon since 2006.
Champagne Besserat de Bellefon – sensitivity and adaptation
Located in Epernay, Maison Besserat de Bellefon has established a reputation for itself on the gourmet food scene with its Champagnes that are specifically designed to pair with meals. Cédric Thiébault, who has been cellar master since 2006, helms this uncompromising company where each blend is crafted with almost scientific precision.
Maison Besserat de Bellefon is renowned for its gastronomic Champagnes.
“I joined the world of wine out of curiosity”, admits the Champagne native. After beginning his career in Beaujolais then moving to a Champagne laboratory as a consultant winemaker, he joined Besserat de Bellefon in 1999, firstly as head of quality. By totally immersing himself in the entire production process, he was able to achieve proficiency at every stage of the craft. “Learning the ropes as a cellar master can be quick, but if you spend less than ten years in the same company, it is difficult to see the results of what you are trying to achieve”, he explains, stressing the importance of time for cellar masters.
Maison Besserat de Bellefon uses unique winemaking techniques.
Maison Besserat de Bellefon uses unique winemaking techniques, with no malolactic fermentation, which lend its Champagnes distinctive freshness and elegance. The company also focuses on a ‘solera’ style reserve started over twenty years ago to enhance the complexity of its wines.
Knowledge sharing with future generations is a core aspect of Thiébault’s mission and is aimed at training them to perpetuate the house style. “The role requires sensitivity, the ability to listen and a good deal of adaptation”, he claims. By constantly engaging with his team, he aims to guarantee that Besserat de Bellefon Champagnes continue to achieve excellence.
Cynthia Fossier now holds the position of 10th cellar master at Maison Canard-Duchêne.
Champagne Canard-Duchêne – a cohesive approach to knowledge sharing
In Ludes, in the heart of the Montagne de Reims, Maison Canard-Duchêne has just appointed its 10th cellar master. Cynthia Fossier, the first woman to hold the position since the founder Léonie Duchêne, succeeds Laurent Fédou, whose twenty-plus-year tenure with the company has left a lasting impression.
Maison Canard-Duchêne is located in Ludes, in the heart of the Montagne de Reims.
The transition revealed a mentor-protégé-type relationship at the company, where complicity undoubtedly played a pivotal role. “I consider Laurent Fédou as my spiritual father”, admits Fossier. After joining Canard-Duchêne in 2019 as a winery assistant, she learned all the secrets of blending alongside Fédou, in a process that can be likened to a gradual, patient learning curve. For five years, the twosome got to know each other, quite quickly realising that there was a kind of ‘obvious connection’ in their relationship as people, particularly during tastings. Fossier explains: “We found a lot of likenesses between ourselves, particularly in tasting where we often shared the same opinions and ultimately realised that we didn’t even have to talk to each other to understand one another”.
The day Fédou asked Fossier to conduct her first blends, she recounts: “I was frightened. I didn’t feel ready. He said, “You know that even after 35 years in the business, I still feel frightened”.
One of Maison Canard-Duchêne’s defining features is its fondness of Pinot noir, the staple variety in its blends, which reflects the elegant, fresh hallmark of its Champagnes. Its ethos revolves around systematic blind tasting and a ‘perpetual reserve’ – a proper solera system – used for some wines. “We aim to produce what we can sell whilst at the same time instilling each blend with its own character”, explains Fossier, who perpetuates this technical stringency whilst also incorporating her own sensitivity. “Sometimes you stumble, but you have to know how to pick yourself up”, she adds, hoping that everyone can “meet a Laurent Fédou in their lifetime”.
Fossier’s ambition now is to continue the move upmarket started by her mentor. “Canard-Duchêne is a company that brings people together. It is a joyful, bubbly brand”, she concludes.
Jules Foulon-Ellner represents the 5th generation.
Champagne Charles Ellner – the legacy of precision
In Epernay, the iconic birthplace of Champagne, Maison Charles Ellner nurtures its independence, now very uncommon, as a visionary, family-run company. For over a century, it has done its utmost to produce Champagnes in harmony with nature, a legacy that in the not-too-distant future will be in the hands of Jules Foulon-Ellner, the company’s fifth-generation incumbent.
Champagne Charles Ellner, a visionary, family-run company.
Under the watchful supervision of Michel Rozeaux, the company’s seasoned cellar master for over 20 years, Foulon-Ellner is being initiated into the demanding and delicate art of upholding the vibrant, tense style of Champagnes Ellner, whilst also preparing for the future.
“The most important part is tasting”, he shares, stressing how each vineyard block, divided into several dozen batches, has its own unique character. At Ellner, the role of cellar master implies orchestrating a symphony of balance where foregoing malolactic fermentation underscores the purity and exuberance of aroma. The company’s aim is to preserve a style where integrity and linearity anchor the signature of the wines.
Blending of the still wines, however, is just part of the mission. It must also factor in marketing aspects, an essential reality in a market where tastes vary depending on which part of the world you are in. “We adapt dosage based on the typicity of each wine so as to better capture the current trends and meet our customers’ expectations whilst also remaining true to our style and the spirit of our company”, he explains, stressing the importance of constant conversations between the technical and marketing teams.
Destined to become cellar master himself one day, Jules Foulon-Ellner is eager to learn.
At Champagne Charles Ellner, passing on the legacy does not solely imply technical skills. Michel Rozeaux is sharing a broader vision with his young successor, that of a modern cellar master with a close connection between the vineyards and their development. Time has become an ally to ensure the handover is a success: “The longer the process, the better”, concludes Foulon-Ellner, who is still keen to learn.
Maison Collard-Picard is above all a family affair.
Champagne Collard-Picard – the chemistry between a family threesome
Maison Collard-Picard farms 16 hectares of vines split between the Marne Valley – the cradle of Pinot noir and Pinot meunier – and the Côte des Blancs, the realms of Chardonnay. It was established in 1996 when two families of winegrowers with deep roots in Champagne traditions joined forces.
Olivier Collard and Caroline Picard, the company’s founders, indeed embody five generations of craftsmanship and are preparing their son Alexandre to take up the torch one day. The role of cellar master is particularly significant within the Collard-Picard family as it also embraces operations management.
Alexandre helps his father with every task.
Helping his father with every task, Alexandre is getting to grips with the profession. From the vineyards to the winery and sales, “I am convinced that you have to know how to do everything”, stresses Olivier Collard.
The Collard-Picard style aims for differentiation and hinges on assertive technical choices: the wines are fermented in large oak tuns to avoid oaky notes, there is no malolactic fermentation in order to preserve the fresh aromatics and wild ferments are used to fully express sense of place. This uncompromising approach is mirrored in the Extra-Brut Champagnes that show stellar precision – they undergo lengthy maturation to reach their peak.
Alexandre has become the company’s spokesperson.
“We have now achieved what we were looking for in terms of our style of Champagne. We want people to know that, we want to spread the word and are now publicising this. Our son will be the custodian of this vision”, concludes Olivier, confident that Alexandre has the ability to continue to build on the company’s excellent track record.
Cédric Jacopin has been the cellar master at Union Champagne since 2016.
Union Champagne – a cellar master combining alchemy with coordination
For over 55 years, Union Champagne in Avize has pooled the expertise of 15 Champagne co-operatives, thus representing 2,300 member growers and 1,400 hectares under vine. Cédric Jacopin, who has been its cellar master since 2016, epitomises the continuity and adaptability of this key Champagne player, renowned for its Premiers Crus and Grands Crus Champagnes.
“The job of cellar master is quite unique in that it requires a huge amount of learning”, explains Jacopin. After joining the group at the start of his career, he was initiated into the role under the guidance of his predecessor Yannick Collet, before fully assuming the position of cellar master. In such a vast company as Union Champagne, it is safe to say that passing on knowledge and team work are essential. “Here, the cellar master is a true multi-tasker – a technician, alchemist and ambassador”.
The still wines are blended in the main facilities in Avize.
A very specific methodology is used to produce the Champagnes. Each co-operative produces its own still wines with the support of the technical staff at Union Champagne. The wines are then blended at the main facilities in Avize, where the cellar master and his team work to harmonise the different Crus. “Working as a team implies constant dialogue, open-mindedness and humility because we are just passing through”, he claims. The same ethos also guides his mission of passing on knowledge, which he views as a gradual transition to protect the style and excellence of Union Champagne. With its flagship brand De Saint-Gall, Union Champagne has positioned itself as a purveyor of elegant yet powerful Champagnes mirroring their outstanding vineyard sites. Under Cédric Jacopin’s leadership, the group continues to promote the authenticity and quality it is renowned for, whilst also responding to climate change and market needs.
Odilon de Varine and Gabrielle Malagu, where human chemistry matters most.
Champagne Gosset – human chemistry
Founded in 1584 in Aÿ, Maison Gosset is a monument to Champagne heritage.
Maison Gosset is a monument to Champagne heritage.
Known for its inimitable style combining mineral freshness and profound vinosity, it owes its identity to a carefully curated tradition of knowledge sharing. This process has now taken on a new dimension with Gabrielle Malagu, chosen by Odilon de Varaine to embody continuity and change within the company. “When you choose someone to represent a company, the issue is not just about technical skills, but about human chemistry”, stresses de Varaine. Experienced winemaker Malagu works closely with him as a twosome that was designed as a space for dialogue and sharing. The technique is essential in a profession where every decision made now will have an influence on wines that will only be revealed years later. “What we did six years ago is now emerging”, points out de Varaine, illustrating the profession’s unique time frame.
At Gosset, the mission of the cellar master varies from shadow to light. In the shadows, Gabrielle Malagu and Odilon de Varaine strive to produce the finest blends, adjusting the proportions of Chardonnay and Pinot noir in response to climate change whilst upholding the company’s signature style. They are also in the limelight, however, because “Cellar masters are the ambassadors of their craft, called upon to explain, promote and secure visibility for their Champagnes across the globe”, concludes de Varaine.
Thierry Gobillard supervises the winemaking process with utmost attention.
Champagne JM Gobillard et Fils – Knowledge sharing down through the vintages
Founded in 1933 by Gervais Gobillard, Maison Gobillard et Fils epitomises the story of a family with deep roots in the vineyards of Champagne. Situated in Hautvillers, an iconic Champagne location and the village of Dom Pérignon, the company has grown down through the generations and become a regional benchmark. The company’s history is one of family perseverance punctuated by milestones like the creation of the Hautvillers-based business in 1983 and the move to Dizy for its new operations base in 1990. The Gobillard family currently farms 33 hectares of vineyards certified level 3 High Environmental Value (HVE).
Thierry Gobillard, who joined the company in 1982, after graduating as a winemaker, has played a pivotal role in the family business’ transformation. Under his guidance, the company’s production has grown from 50,000 bottles a year to 1.5 million, making JM Gobillard et Fils a company that has international reach yet remains true to its family values.
As cellar master, Thierry Gobillard supervises the winemaking process, paying utmost attention to respect for the family’s craftsmanship and its future. “The cellar master is the custodian of the house style and must ensure its continuity. He must be able to express the full potential of the crop whilst being mindful to follow progress throughout the winemaking process all year round”, he explains. “The role requires a number of qualities – an unwavering passion for wine, irreproachable technical proficiency and the ability to communicate in order to share the company’s inherent spirit”.
Passing on knowledge, which is essential for the profession, is a process which, he feels, occurs over several vintages. Hence it is that he spends time calmly passing on the delicate art of blending to his successor.
Time is the only ally for a successful handing over process.
The cellar masters as custodians of excellence passing on the torch
In the heart of Champagne, the cellar masters epitomise a unique role, at the intersection between craftsmanship, science and strategy. As the guardians of their house style, they are also the custodians of skills where each blend mirrors painstaking choices and decades of expertise. But their mission goes well beyond simply crafting wines – they also bear the responsibility of passing on precious, intangible heritage.
Handing down knowledge is an art in itself, requiring years of close collaboration between a mentor and his/her successor. Passing on the torch implies not just sharing techniques or production formulae, but true sharing, that of a vision and sensitivity as well as intimate understanding of vineyard sites. As the testimonials by the cellar masters featured in this report illustrate, the relationship between the former and the new cellar master is often marked by a deep complicity or, at the very least, total mutual trust.
Faced with present-day challenges, the cellar masters are also adapting to newly-minted environmental and climate requirements, whilst at the same time remaining true to their companies. This subtle balance fully demonstrates the complexity of their mission.
Although each Champagne house has its own specific features, ultimately one common thread is woven into their stories – time. Time to perfect a style, the time needed to train a successor and the time it requires to see the work often accomplished years previously come to fruition. This unique time frame transforms cellar masters into architects of both the transient and the permanent.
