In 1859 winemaker Léonie Duchêne met and married barrel maker Victor Canard. They decided to combine their last names and produce their own unique Champagne, based on the Pinot Noir grapes they grew in the heart of the Montagne de Reims. They released their first bottling of Champagne eight years later, in 1868, to rave reviews. Léonie was among the first female winemakers in the Champagne region, and to this day Canard-Duchêne is one of the few Champagne houses still family owned. Winemaker Laurent Fédou describes the house style as “very lively, youthful and balanced with freshness and bright acidity”.
