70% Meunier, 30% Chardonnay

• From Vinay, Moussy, and Brugny
• Yes malo
• Aged in 600L barrel, reserve wine in concrete
• Aged 26 months on the lees
• Dosage: 2g/L

Antonin Michel (pictured above) represents the next generation of Champagne winemaking, inheriting deep roots from both sides of his family tree. He is the grandson of the legendary Meunier producer José Michel and the son of Nathalie Michel, who preserved her family’s four-hectare estate, Wirth-Michel, in 2000. Antonin built a robust foundation in the wine business through studies in Reims and Dijon, international sales experience in Mexico, and pivotal internships with biodynamic pioneer Hervé Justin at Leclerc Briant and Olivier Lamy in Burgundy. Following his mother’s cancer diagnosis and his grandfather’s passing in 2019, Antonin returned home to take full control of both the José Michel and Wirth-Michel domaines.

The Wirth-Michel estate spans four hectares across four villages in the Côteaux sud d’Epernay, a geologically diverse region boasting 15 distinct subsoils including chalk, clay, silex, and marls. Antonin employs organic viticulture with biodynamic influences and horse plowing, managing old massal-selected vines that yield low volumes. Currently, the estate produces a limited 10,000 bottles, selling the remaining fruit to notable winemaking friends. Utilizing a hands-off approach, Antonin vinifies Wirth-Michel’s non-vintage wines in steel and concrete while aging vintage cuvées in 600-liter barrels—a distinct style he eventually plans to introduce to the historic José Michel estate.