Piper-Heidsieck to ‘evolve’ under new deputy chef de cave

Séverine Frerson-Gomez, the newly promoted role of deputy chef de cave at Champagne house Piper-Heidsieck, is set to “evolve” the Champagne house’s style for the future, as she works alongside its long-standing cellar master, Régis Camus.

Séverine Frerson of Piper Heidsieck @Michel Jolyot

Frerson-Gomez, who joined the champagne house in 2001 after being recruited by Camus, has been in charge of the blends since being appointed its head of oenology for Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck houses in 2012.

The appointment, in March this year, comes shortly after the champagne house told db it was undergoing a renaissance to rebuild its image after distancing itself from supermarket discounting, which includes increasing production to around 5m bottles.

Frerson-Gomez said her role would be key in making this possible, through increasing, revising and improving the brand’s long-term sourcing supply. This would go hand-in-hand with evolving the brand for the future, while continuing the work and recognition of the brand achieved under Camus, she said.

“It is not about changing the winemaking techniques, it is about ensuring we get the right sourcing of grapes from a terroir and varietal perspective. My role, as the end of the day, is to let nature do its job, I want to respect, manage and highlight the quality of the grapes I receive,” she said. “We are looking at identifying what, compared to our needs, we need to improve.”

Currently around 60% of the grapes used in its wine production are bought in from growers with whom it has a long-standing relationship, but global executive director Benoit Collard said the EPI chairman Christopher Descours was always looking for potential investment in new vineyards if their availability and made sense. “So we are in rather a good position on that front,” he told db.

Piper-Heidsieck’s character is largely determined by the Pinot Noir majority in the blend which brings fruit character and structure, but Collard said Frerson-Gomez’s personal style and flair would bring a greater degree of elegance to the blend.

“It is just the beginning but reinforcing the chardonnay component and reviewing and increasing the use of reserve wines in the blend are options she is looking at,” he said, adding that the evolution would be slow in order to maintain a consistent style and avoid any abrupt changes for the consumer.

The champagne house has a large collection of reserve wines to maintain the consistency, which Frerson-Gomez said she was lucky to have the chance “to play with”. But before thinking about making a new vintage, the first thought was always what to “bank”’ in the reserve.

“What sets Piper-Heidsieck apart is its long-term view and its willingness to maintain a consistent style and level of quality, while at the same time having the techniques where you can be highly creative and innovative” she said.