Francis Orban represents the 4th generation of winemakers whose vineyards in the Marne valley extend from the villages of Leuvrigny to Sainte-Gemme. As a kid, Francis loved following his grandfather Gaëtan in the vineyards and cellar and from a very early age, Francis knew he’d follow in the family tradition of tending Pinot Meunier vines on the sandy, clay-rich soils of the Marne Valley. After finishing his enological studies at just 19, he joined the family business, imbued with a generations-deep passion for making pure Pinot Meunier wines. In 2007, Francis took over the family domaine and created Champagne Francis Orban, which caught on rapidly in France with wine merchants and restauranteurs eager to be offered terroir-focused Champagnes meticulously made with Pinot Meunier

The Vallée de la Marne is where Meunier reaches its full potential. It’s the area’s flagship grape variety; grown here it offers lush richness balanced by elegance and brightness. More than 90% of his plots of vines are devoted to the area’s beloved grape with a goal of striving to reach the optimal expression of their terroir each vintage. Francis is a terroir obsessive. For him, there is no room for debate—great Champagne is a product of the vineyard, not the blending or the winemaker’s hand. Therefore he farms his vines meticulously with the utmost priority placed on sustainability, limiting treatments much as possible, completely banning insecticides and adopting environmentally friendly practices in his vineyard work. From pruning to harvesting, the vines receive careful, manual attention. Grapes are pressed gently and fermented on indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. Francis adds 50% of reserve wines to his non-vintage Champagnes, for wines of impressive depth, character, and length. In the contemporary landscape of Champagne, where more and more emphasis is being placed on wines which exhibit a quintessential sense of place, the wines of Francis Orban stand out for capturing the essence of Pinot Meunier in the Marne Valley.

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