Chavost is one of the most interesting new names in Champagne for people who care about both wine and how it’s made: a historic cooperative south of Épernay that has reinvented itself as a producer of zero‑sulphur, no‑additive wines with real personality. The bottles we’ve brought into Symbolic Wines—from Brut Nature Champagne to Coteaux Champenois and a solera‑aged Ratafia—tell that story in very different, but very coherent, ways.
The labels: cartoon‑style Champagne life, drawn from inside the coop
One of the first things people notice with Chavost isn’t just what’s in the bottle, but what’s on it. The zero‑sulphur cuvées carry playful, cartoon‑style labels that depict scenes of Champagne life: the cooperative, the vineyards, the harvest and the people behind the wines. In an interview about the range, Fabian Daviaux explains that he worked with his brother—who has always drawn—to create these illustrations, designing a different “comic‑strip” portrait of the coop and its collective for each cuvée, from Blanc d’Assemblage through to Blanc de Chardonnay, Blanc de Meunier, Rosé de Saignée and Coteaux Champenois.
For Blanc d’Assemblage in particular, one importer describes the label as “a true tribute to the harvest,” with workers dancing under the sun, baskets overflowing with grapes and glasses ready to be filled. The idea is not just decorative: the images are meant to root the wines in a specific place and community, so that when you pour a glass of Chavost you’re reminded of the village, the hillside and the people whose work is being bottled.
From classic co‑op to natural Champagne pioneer
Chavost was originally founded in 1946 by a group of winegrowers in Chavot‑Courcourt, a village in the Marne Valley just south of Épernay. For decades the cooperative did what co‑ops do best: pooled fruit and resources to make solid, traditional Champagne and support the local economy.
The radical pivot came in 2019, when winemaker Fabien (or Fabian) Daviaux, who had spent more than a decade making wine around the world, took over the cellar and convinced members to focus on natural Champagnes made without added sulphites. Under his direction, the estate adopted a “sans sulfites ajoutés” philosophy that is still rare in Champagne, eliminating not only sulphur but also commercial yeasts, enzymes, tannins, charcoal, chaptalisation and dosage. Fermentations are spontaneous, malolactic happens naturally, there is no fining or filtration, and settling is done without additives—an approach designed to let the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay terroirs speak as directly as possible.
For collectors and Champagne fans, that means Chavost sits at the intersection of grower energy, natural‑wine transparency and serious technical discipline. These wines are not “wild” for the sake of it; they are carefully made, clean, and aimed squarely at balance and drinkability.
The Brut Nature Champagnes: Eureka!, Blanc d’Assemblage, Paradoxe, Rosé de Saignée
“Eureka!” is exactly the sort of cuvée you expect from a producer reinventing itself: a statement Blanc d’Assemblage made without dosage or sulphites. The blend is 70% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier, sourced from organically farmed vineyards on the slopes south of Épernay. As with the rest of the range, fermentation is spontaneous with indigenous yeasts, malolactic is natural, there is no chaptalisation, no acidification and no fining or filtration; the wine is bottled as Brut Nature with zero dosage and no added sulphites.
For anyone who wants to taste what “Chavost style” actually means in Champagne form, Eureka! is a very clear expression: ripe, vinous fruit from a slightly warmer microclimate, framed by vivid acidity and a clean, additive‑free profile. Think of it as the house’s mission statement in a single bottle.
The Blanc d’Assemblage Brut Nature leans into the same philosophy but at a more approachable price point. It is described as a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, made from Côteaux Sud d’Épernay vineyards and vinified with indigenous yeasts, no sulphites, no clarification and zero dosage. Tasting notes from importers highlight a Champagne that is “pleasant and powerful with good structure, softness and perfect balance,” showing both the warmth of the site and the cut you expect from a no‑dosage wine.
For Champagne drinkers who are used to grandes marques, this is a compelling way into a different universe: same region, very different philosophy, at a price that makes exploration relatively low‑risk.
Paradoxe Brut Nature is one of the clearest illustrations of what Chavost is doing technically and stylistically. It is a multi‑vintage blend built from five years—2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023—and produced without dosage and without added sulphites, from organically farmed vineyards on the hillsides south of Épernay.
The name “Paradoxe” fits: in the glass, you get the richness and complexity associated with multi‑vintage Champagne, but framed by a zero‑dosage, zero‑sulphur structure that keeps things very pure and direct. For collectors who like to track producers over several disgorgements, this kind of cuvée often becomes a benchmark for understanding the house’s evolution.
The Rosé de Saignée Brut Nature NV is where Chavost’s no‑additive approach meets a more exuberant style. According to agency and importer notes, it is made from 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Pinot Meunier, using the saignée method to extract color and structure, and it is bottled as Brut Nature, with no dosage and no sulphites added. Descriptions highlight an energetic Champagne packed with red‑fruit character and bright acidity, making it particularly compelling with food—charcuterie, grilled fish, or anything that benefits from both fruit and cut on the table.
Still wines from Champagne: Coteaux Champenois Rouge & Chardonnay 2020
One of the most interesting threads in the Symbolic Wines Chavost selection is the presence of still wines: Coteaux Champenois Rouge 2020 and Coteaux Champenois Chardonnay 2020. Coteaux Champenois is the AOC for still wines in Champagne, and in the hands of producers like Chavost it’s becoming a serious playground for terroir‑driven, small‑production bottlings.
The Coteaux Champenois Rouge 2020 (at $120.00) showcases what Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier from these hillsides can do when they’re not destined for bubbles. Made under the same low‑intervention regime—indigenous yeasts, no sulphites, no fining or filtration—it tends to emphasize purity of fruit, fine tannins and a texture that feels more like a serious Burgundian‑inspired red than a curiosity.
The Coteaux Champenois Chardonnay 2020 is the white counterpart, again vinified and raised with minimal intervention to foreground the site rather than the cellar. For collectors already deep into grower Champagne, these still wines are an obvious next step: they let you see the underlying terroir in a different frame and they often come from very small volumes.
Ratafia is the traditional vin de liqueur of Champagne, made by fortifying grape must with brandy, and Chavost’s Solera Ratafia Champenois NV is a particularly characterful example. Merchant descriptions specify a 50% Chardonnay, 50% Meunier must fortified with grape brandy, aged in very old oak barrels using a solera system and bottled without added sulphites or filtration.
The style is naturally sweet, textural and aromatic, with recommended pairings that range from aged cheeses and dried fruit to crème brûlée and salted‑caramel vanilla ice cream. For a Champagne‑focused cellar, a bottle like this fills several roles at once: it’s a bridge into the region’s historic drinking culture, a versatile dessert (or cheese‑course) bottle, and a very affordable way to see what Chavost’s low‑intervention philosophy looks like in a fortified wine.
Why Chavost belongs in a Symbolic Wines Champagne selection
When you line these wines up—Eureka!, Blanc d’Assemblage, Paradoxe, Rosé de Saignée, Coteaux Champenois Rouge and Chardonnay, and the Solera Ratafia—a few themes become obvious:
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A clear, consistent philosophy.Â
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All the key Chavost wines are made without added sulphites, without dosage and without cellar additives, with spontaneous fermentations and no fining or filtration.
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A strong sense of place.Â
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The focus on the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay, and on varieties like Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay in that specific microclimate, gives the range a coherent identity that stands apart from mainstream Champagne.
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Breadth without dilution.Â
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Between traditional Brut Nature Champagne, expressive Rosé de Saignée, still Coteaux Champenois and a solera‑aged Ratafia, Chavost explores multiple formats while maintaining the same low‑intervention, terroir‑driven core.
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For Symbolic Wines, that combination—clarity of vision, strong execution and real diversity in the lineup—is exactly what makes Chavost worth seeking out. These are wines for people who want Champagne that feels alive, specific and thoughtful, whether you’re pouring a Brut Nature with dinner, a still Chardonnay blind for friends, or a small glass of Ratafia to close the night.
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Sources: Vins & Millésimes, Terrestrial Wine Co., Champagne Seoul, WineYou, Fine Wine Experience, Less Is More Wines, Athenaeum, Holy Grail Wines, Le Naturiste, Champagne Chavost and partner communications.
