History & Family
Champagne G.X. CROCHET’s genealogy can be traced back through the vineyards to before the year 1700, when Xavier’s paternal grandmother’s ancestors, the Spement family, arrived from Italy to tend the vines at Bergères-sous-Montmirail. Champagne crates used for export to the United States have even been found on the family estate, bearing Edmond Spement’s official stamp. Mr Spement was Xavier’s quatrayle ie great-great-great-grandfather. Alongside their viticultural and agricultural activities, the Spements were millers from father to son, running the flour mill at Bergères-sous- Montmirail. The marital union of the Spement and Crochet families, the latter originally from the Vallée de la Marne, allowed the family wine estate to expand : the Troissy and Mareuil-le- Port terroirs were added to those located in Bergères sous Montmirail. Xavier’s father, Henri Crochet, expanded the size of the vineyard with additional plantings in the Mareuil-le-Port area, whereas the flourmill activities ceased in 1970.
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Xavier’s mother, Françoise Rivière, is a native of Ambonnay and belongs to 5 generations of winegrowers. Her parents, Pierre and Colette Rivière, settled in Cramant, Grand Cru of the Côte des Blancs, and ran the vineyards inherited from their family at Trépail, Ambonnay, Cramant, Chouilly and Oiry. Progressively, they increased their Champagne production while expanding the domain to include the Sézannais (Saudoy and Barbonne-Fayel).
Françoise and Henri Crochet in turn merged their respective viticultural assets and began to create their own Champagne. They upscaled the press equipment and installed a new tank room better suited to their needs as wine-growers and wine-makers.
These men and women of character, passionate about their craft, followed in each other’s footsteps, in turn creating Champagne which reflects their legacy, history and terroir : Champagne Spement, Champagne Pierre Crochet, Champagne Crochet Father & Son, Champagne Pierre Rivière, Champagne Crochet-Rivière.
Consequently, Xavier grew up in this environment of landowners and began to participate in the family champagne-making activities at a very young age. Keen to excel in his future profession, he obtained an advanced vocational training certificate (BTS) in viticulture and oenology, as well as a diploma of oenology.
Gaëlle’s family comes from the North of France. After completing her studies in sensory analysis, she and Xavier met while studying for their Masters in Champagne wines, in 2003. Having learned to play piano, her taste for music remained intact and she effortlessly found parallels with the world of wine : commitment, excellence and quite simply identical terms.
Their sense of duty and the call of the land triumphed over the easier option that joining one of the big Champagne Houses would have offered. They opted to work together on the family estate, alongside Xavier’s parents and brother. In 2014, they decided to express their personalities more fully by creating their own wines. Two strong personalities, a grain of folly, some melodies, and CHAMPAGNE G.X. CROCHET was born. In order to benefit from mutualizing costs, their grapes are pressed and wines are made at the family winery at Bergères-sous- Montmirail, and then commercialized at their Echelle-le-Franc property near Montmirail. Their common passion for wine, the senses and music is reflected in the names of their cuvées and the logo chosen for their Champagne brand.