André Drappier, who was a truly emblematic figure of Drappier champagnes located in the Côte des Bar, died on Wednesday 5th March. Here’s a homage to the life of this exceptional person.
It was deeply upsetting to hear of André Drappier’s passing on 5th March at the age of 98. André Drappier was a major proponent, particularly within Côte des Bar, in promoting the unique terroir of the Aube region – which had long played second-best to its neighbours – through the wines from his vineyard in Urville. It was all thanks to him that the Drappier house was established as a major figure of Champagne.
We owe it to Michel Drappier, and his wife Micheline Drappier, for creating several cuvées which put the house on the map such as the “Carte d’Or”. The now iconic champagne, “La Grande Sendrée”, was also produced by them from a small parcel located in the area of “Cendrée” – the site of an ancient forest devastated by fire. Its first vintage dates back to 1975. André Drappier also dabbled in the development of vineyards, for example, he introduced Pinot Meunier grapes to the vineyards due to its resistance to spring frosts. The 1957 yield was devastated and 97% of the harvest was lost.
His champagnes were even enjoyed by French president, General Charles de Gaulle. He popped open a bottle of the Drappier Pinot Noir vintage with his family at Colombey-les-deux-Églises, among other places. In tribute to the late president, a unique cuvée was created for the 50th anniversary of the Appeal of 18 June and is called “Charles de Gaulle”. It is still available to buy and is produced from a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay.
André’s son Michel and his wife Sylvie were joined by the eighth generation of the family in 2016. Alongside their father, Charline, Hugo and Antoine today perpetuate the style of the Drappier house, adding their own particular touch. That’s how the company became a forerunner in the field, moving towards a style of Champagne with a lower dosage. Drappier has also begun an environmental plan. In 2016, Drappier’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint were rewarded with the Ecoact label, making it the first carbon-neutral house in France.
A close relationship developed over time with iDealwine
As a visionary and open-minded innovator, Drappier committed to iDealwine right from the start, placing his trust in us immediately. In fact, it was alongside Michel Drappier that we launched, in 2003, our first fixed-price sale accompanying the auctions we had built a reputation for. Our first “iDéale offer” was actually a Brut Nature which went on market just before Christmas and it was a great success amongst Champagne lovers. Since then, we’ve forged close, professional and friendly ties. In July 2018, the Drappier house welcomed the entire iDealwine team for a day of exploring in the vineyards. Charline and her mother Sylvie led the entire visit, and they prepared a meal for us. André Drappier was also there, bright-eyed, cheerful and joking around. He was clearly very happy to see his living room packed full with our team and was thrilled to raise a glass with us to celebrate this wonderful day. We had all this whilst enjoying delicious homemade cherry tarts that were specially prepared for the occasion. We are so happy to have had the opportunity to meet him because he has passed on a wonderful sense of comradery to the next generations, one which is deeply rooted in the Aube region, and has endured, forging the company’s success around the world. We want to express our sincerest condolences to Michel Drappier and his wife Sylvie, as well as Charline, Hugo and Antoine, our thoughts are with you all at this time.
