Labbé & Fils 'Tradition' 1er Cru Brut, Chamery, Champagne, France NV
- Winemakers: Damien and Jérôme Labbé
- Farming: Practicing Biodynamic
- Grapes: 65% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, 15% Chardonnay
- Soil / Terroir: Reims mountain, in the village of Chamery. Chalk subsoil, with clay and sand topsoil. Labbe & Fils now consists of 10ha of vines spread over 40 plots in 4 different villages. All of the plots are very close to the house, the furthest is only 5km away. This proximity does not mean homogeneity, in fact quite the opposite with each village having dramatically different exposures, soil types and personality. Ecueil is mostly sandy with silt and limestone, Sermiers is clay with limestone and Villers aux Nodes is more silty limestone. Their home village of Chamery is rather balanced but more and more calcareous as you go up the hills.
- Dosage: 6 g/L
From our 2025 CHAMPAGNE COLLECTION Club Notes:
Labbé & Fils 'Tradition' 1er Cru Brut, Chamery, Champagne, France NV
I first came across Labbé & Fils through my friend and former colleague Garth Hodgdon, a fellow sommelier whose palate I trust completely. We worked closely together during my time as a Champagne Specialist for Moët Hennessy—he was the U.S. Ambassador for Krug, I was drinking a borderline irresponsible amount of Champagne in the name of work. Garth went on to found Cage Imports, dedicated to bringing in some of the most exciting, terroir-driven Champagnes, and among them, the wines of Labbé & Fils.
The Labbé brothers, Damien and Jérôme, farm 10 hectares in Chamery, a Premier Cru village in the Montagne de Reims. If you know Champagne, you know this area is serious Pinot Noir country. The Montagne de Reims is where you get power, structure, and depth—wines that stand up, demand attention, and develop beautifully over time. But it’s not just Pinot Noir; there’s a patchwork of soils—chalk, clay, sand, and limestone—all adding layers to the wines.
This particular cuvée, the Tradition Brut, is 65% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, and 15% Chardonnay, all from their home village and neighboring Premier Cru sites in Écueil, Sermiers, and Villers-aux-Nœuds. Each site brings something different to the glass: Écueil’s sandy soils add elegance and brightness, Sermiers’ clay gives weight and a round, supple texture, Villers-aux-Nœuds’ silty limestone contributes richness and length and Chamery ties it all together with balance and fresh minerality. The result? A Champagne that’s both powerful and finessed, with red fruit, citrus, a touch of brioche, and a mineral backbone that keeps everything lifted.
The Labbé family has been growing grapes for ages, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that things really shifted. Their father, in a bold move, installed a press in the cellar—without telling his own grandfather—marking the beginning of their transition from growers to independent winemakers. Fast forward to today, and they’re farming organically, leaning into biodynamics, and making wines that are more expressive than ever.
This bottling is based on the 2018 vintage, with 50% reserve wines, aged two years on the lees, and finished with just 6 g/L dosage. It’s vinous, full-bodied, layered, and seriously well made—one of those Champagnes that reminds you why grower bubbles are so exciting.
Labbé & Fils is still under the radar for now, but trust me, that won’t last long. These wines are the real deal! —Cara Patricia, February 2025
Labbé & Fils 'Tradition' 1er Cru Brut, Chamery, Champagne, France NV
- Winemakers: Damien and Jérôme Labbé
- Farming: Practicing Biodynamic
- Grapes: 65% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, 15% Chardonnay
- Soil / Terroir: Reims mountain, in the village of Chamery. Chalk subsoil, with clay and sand topsoil. Labbe & Fils now consists of 10ha of vines spread over 40 plots in 4 different villages. All of the plots are very close to the house, the furthest is only 5km away. This proximity does not mean homogeneity, in fact quite the opposite with each village having dramatically different exposures, soil types and personality. Ecueil is mostly sandy with silt and limestone, Sermiers is clay with limestone and Villers aux Nodes is more silty limestone. Their home village of Chamery is rather balanced but more and more calcareous as you go up the hills.
- Dosage: 6 g/L
From our 2025 CHAMPAGNE COLLECTION Club Notes:
Labbé & Fils 'Tradition' 1er Cru Brut, Chamery, Champagne, France NV
I first came across Labbé & Fils through my friend and former colleague Garth Hodgdon, a fellow sommelier whose palate I trust completely. We worked closely together during my time as a Champagne Specialist for Moët Hennessy—he was the U.S. Ambassador for Krug, I was drinking a borderline irresponsible amount of Champagne in the name of work. Garth went on to found Cage Imports, dedicated to bringing in some of the most exciting, terroir-driven Champagnes, and among them, the wines of Labbé & Fils.
The Labbé brothers, Damien and Jérôme, farm 10 hectares in Chamery, a Premier Cru village in the Montagne de Reims. If you know Champagne, you know this area is serious Pinot Noir country. The Montagne de Reims is where you get power, structure, and depth—wines that stand up, demand attention, and develop beautifully over time. But it’s not just Pinot Noir; there’s a patchwork of soils—chalk, clay, sand, and limestone—all adding layers to the wines.
This particular cuvée, the Tradition Brut, is 65% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, and 15% Chardonnay, all from their home village and neighboring Premier Cru sites in Écueil, Sermiers, and Villers-aux-Nœuds. Each site brings something different to the glass: Écueil’s sandy soils add elegance and brightness, Sermiers’ clay gives weight and a round, supple texture, Villers-aux-Nœuds’ silty limestone contributes richness and length and Chamery ties it all together with balance and fresh minerality. The result? A Champagne that’s both powerful and finessed, with red fruit, citrus, a touch of brioche, and a mineral backbone that keeps everything lifted.
The Labbé family has been growing grapes for ages, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that things really shifted. Their father, in a bold move, installed a press in the cellar—without telling his own grandfather—marking the beginning of their transition from growers to independent winemakers. Fast forward to today, and they’re farming organically, leaning into biodynamics, and making wines that are more expressive than ever.
This bottling is based on the 2018 vintage, with 50% reserve wines, aged two years on the lees, and finished with just 6 g/L dosage. It’s vinous, full-bodied, layered, and seriously well made—one of those Champagnes that reminds you why grower bubbles are so exciting.
Labbé & Fils is still under the radar for now, but trust me, that won’t last long. These wines are the real deal! —Cara Patricia, February 2025