While the Aube’s emergence has been very recent, the seeds for its flowering were planted in 1986, when the area’s spiritual father, Vouette & Sorbée’s Bertrand Gautherot, began tending his vines in the village of Buxières-sur-Arce. But it was not until 2001 that Gautherot actually bottled his first domaine Champagnes, capturing the attention of collectors and launching the Aube on its ascendence.

Throughout his long career, Gautherot has been, first and foremost, a grower. It says much about him that the first thing he shows visitors is his cows, which he jokingly refers to as “his marketing department.” He keeps them both to cultivate biodiversity and as part of his commitment to natural viticulture. Bertrand’s dedication to terroir isdeep; as he told Peter Liem, “the culture of the vine is my passion.” It led him to biodynamic certification for his domaine in 1998. That so many of today’s leading Aube growers tend their wines naturally is largely due to Gautherot’s example.

Yet, Bertrand ultimately sees these farming methods as a tool and not a religion: “You don’t drink a wine because it’s biodynamic, you drink it because it’s good.” And Gautherot’s are not merely good, but great—these are Champagnes of...

While the Aube’s emergence has been very recent, the seeds for its flowering were planted in 1986, when the area’s spiritual father, Vouette & Sorbée’s Bertrand Gautherot, began tending his vines in the village of Buxières-sur-Arce. But it was not until 2001 that Gautherot actually bottled his first domaine Champagnes,...