The Boulard Bauquaire house is one of the oldest in champagne. Eighth and ninth generations of winegrowers, Christophe Boulard and his son, Charles-Adrien, were in Reunion from April 3 to 6 for the 20/Vin wine fair, their partner of twenty-five years. A special relationship unites this house with Reunion Island, which today absorbs 30% of its production !
The Boulard Bauquaire house is not only one of the oldest in Champagne, it is one of the most famous. A fact confirmed when the Vivianne Legros vintage was voted best champagne in the Vinocité 2022 competition. This special vintage was created and worked especially for Reunion Island., in honor of Vivianne Legros, wife of the founder of the ETS Legros group. Boulard Bauquaire champagnes have been distributed in Reunion since 1999 at 20/Vin and since 2018 at Comtesse du Barry, and Christophe Boulard remembers the beginnings of this close relationship with the Indian Ocean. “The beginning of our Reunion adventure dates from the bond we established with 20/Vin a quarter of a century ago. We developed with them. Twenty-three years, this is the fifteenth time that I have come to Reunion at the invitation of 20/Vin. Until the Covid crisis, I came there almost every year. I fell in love with the island. I feel good. I remember our first order : twenty boxes of champagne. Today, we make 30% of our total sales volume, 20,000 bottles per year, in the meeting ! We export 70% of our production, and Reunion is our first export customer. » Such a relationship also results in warm and lasting contacts with a loyal local clientele. During his last visit to the 20/Vin cellars, Christophe Boulard had the pleasure of seeing customers he knew again. “And people from Reunion come to see us at our place in Champagne. They enjoy being photographed with me ! » he specifies.
Great discoveries
Among the different vintages that Christophe and Charles-Adrien Boulard were tasting this year, all deserved special attention. for example, a natural raw blanc de blanc (no added sugar) was representative of the sustainable viticulture that Boulard Bauquaire defends. The Les Fervins grand cru is named after the place where the Verzy grapes of rare quality come from.. A champagne whose concept bears the mark of Charles-Adrien Boulard. The latter is not only at the origin of the name of this grand cru, but also the traditional elegance of the bottle, which gives it an even more exceptional character. The grand cru Les Fervins reuses the string to hold the cork of the champagne bottle. A technique abandoned a hundred years ago in favor of twisted metal wire. “I wanted something out of the ordinary and reminiscent of the history of Champagne”, explains Charles-Adrien Boulard. These wonderful discoveries were part of the meetings that the 20/Vin brand regularly organizes with winegrowers whose wines it distributes..
