Abelé 1757

Editorial profile

Abelé 1757 is a historic Champagne house in Reims, founded in 1757 and now part of the Centre Vinicole Nicolas Feuillatte group. Union des Maisons de Champagne currently lists Marie Gicquel as managing director and Étienne Eteneau as both cellar master and oenologist.

The house works with a deliberately concise range. Brut, Brut Rosé and Blanc de Blancs form the core; Brut Millésimé 2014 is the current vintage-labelled release; and Le Sourire de Reims Brut 2013 and Rosé 2008 sit at the prestige end of the catalogue. A numbered Extra-Brut limited edition adds a lower-dosage variation to the present offer.

Why this producer matters

Abelé 1757 combines unusually long institutional history with a small contemporary range. Its founding date places it among Champagne's older houses, while its modern catalogue avoids the very broad portfolio structure seen at some larger maisons.

The other defining thread is Reims itself. The prestige name Le Sourire de Reims refers to the cathedral's famous Smiling Angel, a sculpture whose restoration after First World War damage forms part of the house's own historical narrative. That gives the prestige cuvées a specifically Rémois identity rather than a generic luxury positioning.

House and cellar identity

Abelé 1757 is based in Reims and sources across several Champagne sectors rather than presenting itself as a single-estate grower. Current house material highlights Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, Sézannais and Vitryat alongside Pinot Noir and Meunier from other parts of the appellation.

Long cellar ageing is an important part of the current range architecture. The core Brut and Blanc de Blancs are each listed with a minimum of three years' ageing, while the current Le Sourire de Reims Brut 2013 is listed with a minimum of ten years. Those figures belong to the named current wines rather than forming one universal ageing rule for every Abelé cuvée.

Champagne.co analysis

Abelé 1757 is easiest to understand through the contrast between its age and its compact modern range. The house has more than two and a half centuries of history, yet today's catalogue is tightly structured around a few recognisable roles: the core Brut, a Chardonnay-only wine, rosé, one current vintage and the Le Sourire de Reims prestige pair.

That simplicity makes comparison straightforward. The core wines show the house's current blending framework, while Le Sourire de Reims moves toward longer ageing and vintage specificity. The limited Extra-Brut is best seen as a separate edition rather than evidence that the whole house is shifting to one lower-dosage recipe.

Buying guidance

• For the house baseline: start with Abelé 1757 Brut.
• For Chardonnay: Blanc de Blancs is the clearest single-variety option in the core range.
• For a vintage-labelled wine: Brut Millésimé 2014 is the current standard vintage release.
• For the prestige tier: choose between Le Sourire de Reims Brut 2013 and Rosé 2008 according to the exact vintage and style sought.