Caroline Latrive et Michel Davesne (Champagne Deutz)

Two cellar masters for a harvest at Deutz

It's a nice champagne duo. The two cellar masters of the Maison Deutz are harvesting. Not only that, but Michel Davesne's last harvest and Caroline Latrive 's first after 15 years at Champagne Ayala. At nearly 64 years old, Michel Davesne has decided to retire in a few months* and to find a suitable replacement. Check out the rare gem of Ayala Champagne just a few feet away from the Deutz House.

"I made a few guesses about my replacement, and I thought of Caroline," he explained. Caroline, the neighbor, the man he met on Rue Jeanson in Aÿ. Of course, they are not strangers ( champagne is a big family, don't forget!), "Michel was my training master when he was cellar master at Palmer & Co, and later he was my cellar master friend" observed Carlo Lynn Ratliff. Who humorously added, "When he called me to talk about it, it was clear I was interested, and there were offers you couldn't refuse." It is also a question of evolution for this winery, "already has its own vineyard, incredible, nearly 46 hectares, beautiful plots, large dimensions. I then had the impression that I was going to put forward my role as a winemaker. The skill of the master, not just the logistician In this respect, as Michel Davesne points out, "we have the same vision of winemaking," enough for him to hold the keys to the winery with complete peace of mind.

For the beginning of the 2022 harvest, the two cellar masters are once again in harmony: "It was an extraordinary harvest for both of them. We brought in 10% of the harvest and started pressing. We have to look for height to get the fruitiness. So we have to wait longer for the fruit to show itself. We know that there will be a big success this weekend.

*Michel Davesne will sit on the Maison Deutz tasting committee for a while

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