The LORIOT family gave the first notes to the Champagne at the end of the 19th century with Leopold (who was born in 1867) and his wife Palmyre Angelina Maximy. Strong figure herself of the Champagne LORIOT, she followed the lead of her forebear Mathurin Leboucq, wine grower in Nesle-le-Repons since 1675. A prelude in the heart of La Vallée de la Marne, where Leopold, saxophone player in the Festigny brass band, was the first one to set up a press in the village in 1903. This traditional press has been a symbolic centre piece in the Champagne Michel LORIOT’S HISTORY. It gave rhythm to many of harvests and is still kept today in the House cellars.

The Champagne, crescendo…

In the 1920s, the champagne vineyard faced a devastating phylloxera epidemic. Following advices from Burgundy, Leopold applied to his vine a stopgap process that is new in Champagne, the grafting. At this time, grape sales are bad paid and Germain, in 1931, is forced, with his wife Henriette, to produce and market the first three hundred bottles of Champagne of the House! When their son Henri took over, the sales rate started growing up. In 1952, Henri extended the estate with the support of his wife Jeanne and the couple gave birth to Michel in 1959.
Michel LORIOT, a wine grower and a music lover...
Michel LORIOT inherited the family heritage: the wine growing but also the passion for music... With Martine Pierson, his partner, he settled down his wine farm in 1977 with a small part of vines. Marked with his music appeal, he tuned it with his Champagne vocation.
Thus, several plots of Champagne Michel LORIOT benefit from a process bearing fruits and previously unseen in Champagne: the music for plants also called "protéodie". Michel LORIOT applies this process to his vine to better resist to diseases and open up.
Symphonies work for the vines... and in the cellars! Indeed, Michel LORIOT signs his wine with a selection of great classics. The most famous composers rock the bottled wines. During two months, the bottle fermentation is made with the sound of the Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. Then, Mozart, Brahms, Vivaldi or Elgar are invited in the Champagne Michel LORIOT cellars and take part in the magic of the high quality fermentation. The notes arising from these melodies bring vibrations that reach the wine, the yields and the proteins of which it is composed. They act on its structure and help it to express all its perfumes and aromas during its ageing. The harmony of the elements is created... and Michel LORIOT can also feel the emotion brought by the music and translated in his champagnes.

Wine growers in unison...

In the family wine farm, the passion for music and wine growing is shared by Martine and Michel LORIOT, as well as Marie, their daughter, oenologist, and Alban, her husband, production manager. The tenth generation of wine growers of the family is managing the wine farm. A lasting adventure since 1675...

Michel LORIOT, a writer-composer of exceptional Champagnes.

In the 1980s, Michel LORIOT jointed the "Vignerons Indépendants" federation of which he is today the president. He decided to become a member of the federation to make his know-how recognize and to prove the entire management of all the steps of his champagne production, from the creation to the marketing.
As a "Récoltant-manipulant" (code which designates wine growers who make their own wine), he owns a 7-acre vineyard composed of about 20 plots with a large majority of Meunier (80%), a part of Chardonnay (18%) and a touch of Pinot Noir (2%). His wine farm obtained the best HVE certification (level 3) (certification for French farms that means "High Environmental Value"). This certification guarantees that Champagne Michel LORIOT meets the environmental performance levels about biodiversity, phytosanitary strategy, fertilization and water resources management, on the whole of the farm.

Heart and passion

In the house Champagne Michel LORIOT, the wine grower is driven by heart to develop an "ultra" integrated grape growing. Our work is thoughtful (weather study, follow-up of the CIVC advices (French Comité Interprofessionel des Vins de Champagne) and we take care of the raw material’s growth and transformation to give our clients an exceptional finish during tasting.
To have high quality grapes, Michel LORIOT makes a "Grand Cru" pruning, which makes the vines more qualitative and forces them to draw in the soil with more strength. Thanks to this method, the aromas, reflections of the terroir, are highly concentrated. We think it is good to let the Nature express itself, that is why we practice grass cover-cropping to protect our vines from soil humidity. Rot and diseases appearance are minimized as well as the use of phytosanitary products. We give priority to organic fertilizers and copper use.

Passion sounds out in the fermenting room and in cellar.

After a fruitful harvest, grapes are squeezed in a traditional press which is considered as a reference in the wine industry and which provides all the quality and care Michel LORIOT requires.
With great care to hygiene and high respect to the product and to the "QUALENVI" approach (Quality, Environment, Independent wine-grower, from the vine to the marketing and including the steps in cellar. Qualenvi is an official recognition that testifies to the excellence of some French wine-growers), we store our wine in vats by Cru and by plot. This classification allows Michel LORIOT to have refined traceability and tasting. Each vat guards the notes which will compose his next range.

An exact tuning...

The clear wine tasting is a highlight for the Michel LORIOT family. Supported by the knowledge and experience of Martine, Marie and Alban, Michel LORIOT composes his next cuvées, as a true conductor. From that time, all his know-how comes on the scene: harmonies are created from his so careful raw material. When bottling is made, the wines age in cellar and in music.

... and the harmony is created

The farm has its own machines and its own expedition liqueur. Thus, disgorging is made with complete independence. This entire management, dear to Champagne Michel LORIOT, guarantees the quality of its champagnes. Finally, the flutes will allow you to appreciate the work of Michel LORIOT.

Music and vibrations

Since 2010 all the bottles ageing on lees in our cellars are lulled by the sound of the great composers. And since 2012 we have been playing music in our vineyards to stimulate the natural resistance of the vines.

Inherited my love of music from my great grandfather, my granfather and my father, all three of them were members of the village band.

Germain, my grandfather, was born for music; he would have liked to make music his career, but his path was laid out for him in the vineyards.


His love of music never disappeared and i spent many an hour listening to him practice on the baritone saxophone; he taught me how to beat time and we used to listen to concerts on the radio together in the afternoon.

The village band was disbanded in the 1950s and music lessons in the village stopped too.

That’s one the reasons why i’ve never learned to play any instrument, but my grandfather’s spirit is still in me.

I don’t just listen to music, i feel it; it gives me emotions and makes me resonate; it make me happy or sad.

Once, when i was in Switzerland in 2009, i was lucky enaough to visit a winery where the barrels were flooded with music. It took just a few words to convince me.

My decision was made: "May champagnes are going to age to the sounds of music tool!"