Crucifix Père et Fils: Premier Cru Champagne

Eighty-four months. That is how long the Signature Extra Brut from Crucifix Père et Fils aged in bottle. The legal minimum for Champagne is fifteen months, thirty-six for a vintage. This is far beyond both, and you can taste it.

Crucifix Père et Fils is a Premier Cru grower from Avenay-Val-d’Or. Since 2024 it has been available in the Netherlands through Bubbels van Amar.

Five generations of growers

Crucifix is a récoltant-manipulant: a grower who makes Champagne from their own grapes rather than selling them to a big house. The family estate is run today by Sébastien Crucifix, the fifth generation. When I met him, it was his approach that stood out.

He intervenes as little as possible and lets each year keep its own character, instead of pushing every bottle towards a fixed house style. And he has one clear personal preference: no bitter notes in his Champagne.

Avenay-Val-d’Or

Avenay-Val-d’Or is one of Champagne’s Premier Cru villages. It lies east of Épernay, on the slopes of the Montagne de Reims. The soil is clay and limestone, good for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and it gives the wines a mineral undertone.

You can see how much care goes into this house in another cuvée, the Épitre Act 18. Those bottles are tied by hand with hemp twine and sealed with wax.

Signature Extra Brut

Eighty percent Chardonnay, twenty percent Pinot Noir, built on the 2016 harvest. The wine ferments in French oak barrels and then ages 84 months in bottle. Extra brut means very little sugar at dosage: no more than six grams per litre.

What seven years of ageing does

That honey, almond and hazelnut go hand in hand with the long ageing. In Champagne that bottle ageing happens on the lees, and notes like these develop during autolysis: once the yeast cells die off after the second fermentation, they slowly release compounds into the wine. The longer that goes on, the rounder and nuttier the Champagne becomes. With a low dosage, those notes get all the room they need.

At the table

Serve it at 6 to 8 degrees as an aperitif. It can also carry a whole meal: chicken in cream sauce, smoked fish, grilled scampi or lobster.

What to watch for

First, the style. Oak and seven years of ageing make this a rich, creamy Champagne. If you love taut, citrus-bright bubbles, this is something else.

Second, availability. Crucifix only arrived in the Netherlands in 2024. You’ll find it here through Bubbels van Amar.

Third, the price. I didn’t note it, so I can’t tell you whether the bottle is worth the money. Compare it with other long-aged grower Champagnes before you buy.

My verdict

A Premier Cru grower Champagne that you can now buy in the Netherlands. For anyone who wants to go beyond the big names and values serious bottle age, this is a direct way in. Curious why growers started making their own Champagne? Read my guide to the grower revolution.

Producer

Crucifix Père et Fils, Avenay-Val-d'Or

Wine

Signature Extra Brut

Region

Champagne, France

Classification

Premier Cru

Grapes

80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir

Base year

2016

Winemaking

Fermented in French oak barrels

Ageing

84 months in bottle

Dosage

Extra brut

Alcohol

12.5%

Importer

Bubbels van Amar

Sources

• My own tasting note and meeting with Sébastien Crucifix, 2024
• Bubbels van Amar, importer: bubbelsvanamar.nl