Romain Henin L'Odyssée Pétillante Chapitre 1 Champagne 2022

Romain Henin clearly represents the new generation of Champagne vignerons who have decided to break with historical inertia from within.

Trained in Avize and with experience at Henri Giraud, in 2015 he left the family winery due to profound philosophical and viticultural differences, opting for creative freedom in a denomination as demanding as Champagne. He started in 2016 with just 1.2 hectares leased, working organically from the outset and taking considerable financial risks in a region where mistakes are costly. This period, marked by conviction and sacrifice, laid the foundations for his identity as a producer.

In 2021, he launched his first bottles, Gamins du Terroir, with the winery already certified organic and biodynamic by Demeter. The response was immediate: tiny production runs, a radically different style and overwhelming demand that made him a “unicorn” of minimal intervention Champagne. Initially reserved only for the French market and the best bars à vins, his work caught the attention of the whole world. That same year, Romain resolved family differences and, together with his brothers, took over the management of the historic 7-hectare vineyard in Grand Cru de Aÿ, renaming the project La Bulle Libre, an explicit statement of principles.

Today, the entire estate is farmed organically and biodynamically, using phytotherapy, agroforestry and extremely precise viticulture. Fermentation is spontaneous, in barrels of various sizes, without additives, with long ageing on lees and without dosage. The result is champagnes with minimal intervention but enormous definition.

Their first cuvée available to the world is L'Odyssée (2022 vintage base), a blend of Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from plots in Aÿ. It is a vibrant, deep and mineral Brut Nature, where fruit and soil prevail over technique. A name to follow closely in the coming years.

Very few bottles available!