Bruno Paillard

Put simply, Bruno Paillard is now one of the most important names in Champagne. As well as being the guiding hand in several large Houses, Bruno Paillard has propelled his own label onto the world stage, both in record time, and with no sacrifice of quality. Before Paillard, aged 27, established his Maison in 1981, there hadn't been a new house created in the previous century. It just wasn't the done thing! And even more unusual is the fact that Bruno went out on a limb and sold his precious vintage Jaguar MK2 in order to generate the initial capital for the project.

What followed was a rapid rise to fame for this proudly independent Champagne house. In 1994, Bruno Paillard acquired his first vineyard: 3 hectares of Grands Cru vineyard in Oger (Cote des Blancs). With the latest purchases in 2007, the vineyard area has now grown to 25 hectares, of which 10 are Grands Crus: Oger, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Bouzy. This supply complements the purchase of premium grapes from independent growers in more than 30 other villages.

Always prepared to go the extra mile to improve his wines, Bruno is an absolute perfectionist. His work was recognised with his being made a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur, France's most prestigious order, for his services to Champagne. He works to a strict quality charter which encompasses best cru selection, exclusive use of first pressings, separate vinification of each cru, blending of young wines with a high proportion of reserve wines, between 3 and 10 years lees ageing, extra ageing of between 4 and 12 months in the cellar after disgorgement and the disgorgement date on every bottle, a real selling point in a crowded market.

Excitingly, 2009 sees the launch of the 1996 Blanc de Blanc and the 1999 Vintage Assemblage. It's pretty rare to find new releases from these great vintages on the market today which just shows how much emphasis Paillard places on the perfect ageing of wines before release. Look out for the wonderful artwork on the label of the Vintage 1999 commissioned from French artist, Didier Paquignon, and based on the description of the vintage - "flamboyant, tumultueux".