It's hard to find a more cheerful character than Laurent Fédou. In 1985, when Alain Thiénot hired him to manage the champagne house that bears his name, he made no mistake about Fédou's steely optimism or his skills. So, logically, in 2003, when Thiénot bought Canard-Duchêne, he asked him to turn around a house in decline.

"It took 20 years to rebuild this brand's image," said Fédou, a 63-year-old native of the Ariège region who studied biochemistry and oenology. The result is palpable, with this "V 2012" cuvée, selected during our blind tasting. Nothing could please Fédou more: "Our 20 years of work are reflected in this cuvée, whose V is a tribute to Victor Duchêne, who founded the house in 1868. We produced a first cuvée from the 2010 vintage. There was none in 2011. In 2012, the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes were so beautiful that we produced 40,000 bottles of V."

This natural, sugar-free blanc de noirs exudes elegance and finesse, thanks to grapes from the Reims mountains – "on the south side," said the cellar master – as well as from the Bouzy, Aÿ and Côte des Bar terroirs.

Fédou confided that he often discusses the Canard-Duchêne style with Cynthia Fossier, his assistant, with whom he works in symbiosis. But how do you define this style? "It must never be oxidative. The bubbles are there as a flavor enhancer, on fresh fruit, never stewed, with a DNA based on pinot noir. It's also worth noting its generous price."

Canard-Duchêne, "V 2012," brut nature, 2012, €75. Canard-duchene.fr

In our blind tasting, we selected Pol Roger's 2016 vintage, a classic champagne and a sure bet. Cellar master Dominique Petit, who worked at the house for 20 years, blended it and it was his successor, Damien Cambres, recruited in 2017, who bottled it. "I'm Pol Roger's seventh cellar master since it was founded in 1849," said Cambres, who was born in Châlons-en-Champagne just 50 years ago. Petit chose this oenologist because of his meticulousness. "I worked for Nicolas Feuillatte from 1997 to 2002, as manager in particular, and then for another cooperative winery, but I had strayed too far from wine. I find this passion on a daily basis at Pol Roger, and also, despite our two million bottles, we remain on a human scale with a family feel," said Cambres.

This latest addition takes advantage of a winery refurbished by his predecessor. And he continues a craft that has become rare: Pol Roger is one of the last houses to train and employ riddlers. Four people are permanently on hand to turn the bottles by hand. As for supplies, they have not changed: Half the grapes come from the 92 hectares owned by Pol Roger, and the other half are bought from loyal winegrowers. "When the latter retire, their children take over and keep the contracts with us," said Cambres.

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