Yorkshire-born fan of the works of Émile Zola turned one of the wine world’s most powerful women, Julie Campos returned to British soil to discuss her recent appointment as Director of the Number One Champagne brand in France in sales terms, and third worldwide, Nicolas Feuillatte.
Campos, wearing discrete grape cluster necklace, met a round table of inquisitive journalists from Decanter, Harper’s Wine & Spirit and Off Licence News magazines in the art-rich eaves of Gauthier restaurant, Soho. Originally built for a ‘tallow chandler’ (a trader of candles, oils and fats) the tall, handsome, warren-like terraced stack has accrued charming quirks since it was built in 1738, including notably sloping ceilings, and just below, a fantasy cityscape by Thai photographer, Koko Anantawat which Provence-born head chef, Alexis Gauthier commissioned after meeting him at his restaurant in Bangkok, ‘La Table de Tee’…
Gauthier, who trained under Alain Ducasse (the first chef to own restaurants carrying three Michelin Stars in three cities) and previously operated restaurant Roussillon in Pimlico, matched a menu with five expressions from Nicolas Feuillatte tonight. Highlights included an amuse bouche of simply poached asparagus with ebulliently-flavoursome truffle from Tasmania, a region Campos noted ‘can actually be colder than the Rhône.’ It transpired prior to joining Nicolas Feuillatte as Export Manager four years-ago, Campos was Commercial Director of Rhône-based, Cave de Tain l’Hermitage, with a further 15 years experience managing Moreau in Chablis prior.
One clear feature of Campos’s Directorship, which began in January, is her embracing attitude towards competitors in Champagne. ‘We basically sell two brands – Champagne and Feuillatte,’ she said. ‘Surely it’s natural to talk about our friends? If they’re serious competition, it makes you better. It’s like with tennis, the better your opponent, the better your game becomes.’ Campos also drew a comparison between the ‘collective spirit’ of rugby and the Champenois.
Campos also sees benefits to Champagne producers arising from the popularity with consumers of other forms of sparkling wine. ‘It’s a good thing to be selling more sparkling wine, which gets more people onto the ladder.’ Clearly not just expressing a sound-bite, Campos then revealed an unusual approach. ‘We’re distributed in Italy by a Prosecco producer because they understand Champagne is different to Prosecco, as do their sales force.’
New Markets
Mongolia is Nicolas Feuillatte’s newest market, to the tune of ‘just two palates, so far’ followed by ‘very interesting’ Indonesia, which brings the total tally of countries to which Campos exports Champagne to, to 96. In terms of Asia, Campos focuses on Japan as the entry point, although this is a long-term strategy. ‘If you‘re impatient you don’t even focus on Japan,’ she advises. Is China still seen as a golden goose? Not yet, it seems. ‘They’ve no concept of the aperitif,’ she said. The UK remains the top export market, followed by the USA, which Campos says ‘is still growing’, followed by Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, Germany, Belgium, Japan, Canada and Sweden.
Campos sees her role, primarily, as one of safeguarding a future for Champagne. ‘I sense Champagne has reached a turning point. We should be creating new occasions to drink Champagne. And, although Nicolas Feuillatte sells to distributors, we need to speak directly to our consumers and recruit new consumers.’
Nicolas Feuillatte’s Epernay visitor centre, due for completion in 2017, is one of the more visible signs of this approach, showcasing the brand, which represents more than 4,500 growers grouped within 81 member cooperatives. ‘We won’t go in for cobwebs!’ Campos joked. ‘We must welcome visitors, and I will ensure we are open at weekends.’
Rather than seek to substantially grow the yearly output of Nicolas Feuillatte, which last year totalled 10.6 million bottles sold (up 8% on the previous year), Campos would prefer to consolidate the range. She said: ‘Champagne, unlike luxury hotels, is a finite product.’
Campos also noted that 80% of all Champagne sold today is Non-Vintage. ‘And our cheapest Champagne has to be our best,’ she said. However, Campos also talked of specifically tailoring cuvées, such as D’Luscious, a sweeter style particularly popular in the Caribbean. ‘And perhaps we need to kill some existing expressions? If I like something and the winemakers like it, but it doesn’t sell, then there’s no room for it.’
After dinner, asked what Campos keeps in her personal cellar in Epernay, she expressed a hedonistic weave. ‘Am I going to leave a good bottle for someone else to drink, or, should I just enjoy it now…?’
The Menu
• Brut Réserve, Feuillatte’s ‘entry point,’ with warm crispy piglet belly, wild rocket leaves, brave pickled beetroot, and grain mustard dressing, on a bright red plate.
• Brut Millésimé 2008, ‘a great, fresh, chalky vintage,’ with healthy, bitter lovage and earthy chard raviolo, with Parmesan and parsley sauce (see recipe).
• Opulent Grand Cru Vintage 2006 with marinated soft Scottish trout with small gnocchi and fondue leeks.
• Peach Tatin with Brut Rosé and vanilla ice cream with onion skin-coloured, Brut Rosé.
• Finally, handsome Palmes d’Or 2006 with light, white Petits Fours.
