October 2026

Meet Bryan Marx

We are thrilled to highlight one of our most dynamic wine makers this month, celebrating the growing success of Bryan Marx! He is one of the most exciting, creative young forces in Champagne and we’re sharing bottles from his three projects this October.

Bryan has such a unique story. While his family has deep roots in the village of Venteuil, Bryan left to become a graphic designer in Paris. As always, life has different plans and Bryan’s parents, who ran Champagne Marx-Coutelas, asked him to return home and take over the winery. So, nearly 10 years ago, Bryan returned to take over the family’s 5.5 hectare estate and unlocked a deep, personal creative drive.

As a self taught winemaker, he brought a fresh perspective to completely reimagine the family business…and you guessed it…he immediately began converting the Marx-Coutelas estate to organic farming and modernized the estate from the ground up. Now, this might make sense to us, but in the traditionally conservative village of Venteuil, Bryan was labeled a heretic.

While Bryan started by just helping his family wine project, today he has three different brands showing just how versatile young winemakers can be in Champagne if they follow their instincts and creativity!

This month, we’re sharing a mix of these projects as an example of what is possible in Champagne—the sky is the limit if you have the vision and courage to stand out. Bryan’s craft is commendable and we can’t wait to hear what you think!

The Wines

Champagne Marx-Coutelas

This is the foundation of the family estate that Bryan has inherited, tracing their winemaking roots back to 1675. The first vineyard that was farmed by the family is still used today. An 11th century vineyard planted on sand and clay with a deep calcareous subsoil on a south facing plateau is the basis for many of the family blends. These days there are 5.5 hectares of vines under cultivation spread across 30 plots. Bryan’s father has retired, but you’ll still see him working the cellars and vineyards. 

The winemaking has taken a decidedly ‘modern’ approach with dosage coming down, fruit harvested with more maturity and a use of grasses in the vineyards and the expulsion of synthetic compounds for treatment. All of this has added up to a remarkably fresh take on a centuries old terroir. The wines are exciting and only headed for more and more greatness. 

Find more Marx-Coutelas champagne in our Shop!

Les Barils 2020 is created from grapes that grow on a single plateau in Venteuil that has held vines since the 11th century, making it one of the oldest recorded vineyard sites in all of Champagne. It is an even Pinot Noir and Chardonnay split from the 2020 vintage. Grown in chalky soil beneath a thin layer of sand and clay, it is fermented 70% in oak barrels and 30% in stainless steel. It spends four years resting en tirage before being finished as a bone-dry, unmasked Extra Brut with a minimal 4 g/L dosage. Why we love it: It carries a beautiful, airy elegance layered over real structural muscle. Because Bryan blocks synthetic treatments and bottles with low sugar, the pristine nature of the old-world chalk soil punches straight through the glass. The nose is highly expressive, with orange blossom, ginger, and baked pastry crust. The vibe: The perfect bottle to pop mid-week as you throw store bought cheese ravioli into water, and melt a stick of butter with sage for the sauce.

Domaine des Tuileries

Beginning in 2019, Bryan carved off 1.5 hectares from five of his favorite plots to create a new project, Domaine des Tuileries (named after the place he and his grandfather would picnic on warm summer days under an old Acacia tree).

Try another bottle from Domaine des Tuileries from our Shop.

Les Crayères is a love letter to the natural chalk caves (or les crayères) dug directly into the heart of the Venteuil vineyards where Bryan Marx ages his bottles under perfect, constant conditions. The grapes were harvested in 2021 from south facing plots in Venteuil and is a blend of 45% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 10% Meunier. Why we love it: You'll smell brilliant citrus, ripe white peach and a hint of toasted brioche from the time spent in the barrel. Yet the real magic is on the palate. You get a full, juicy body of red berries and candied mango with laser-sharp chalky freshness. It finishes bone dry. The vibe: Patio brunch with soft scrambled eggs with fresh chives.

  

Mabe
This is a small, innovative micro-negotiant label that Bryan runs in partnership with longtime friend Maxime Beaudet.

This is a dynamic, modern project that breaks free from estate boundaries to create highly precise, artisanal blends from vineyards farmed by some of Bryan and Maxime’s good friends from much further afield from Venteuil. Chardonnay from the Grand Cru village of Oger, Meunier from Bonneil are just the start. The project will change where grapes are sourced from year to year, not dependent on the same plots but where mother nature shines in any given year. 

Get another bottle from Mabe in our Shop.

Sourced entirely from the 2023 vintage, Composition I is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, fermented and aged spontaneously entirely in old oak barrels on its fine lees, it is bottled unfined and unfiltered before being disgorged completely bone-dry with zero dosage (Brut Nature). It is a true ghost bottle, with a total production of just 1,388 bottles. Why we love it: It offers a deeply comforting, slightly savory profile that is completely free of any wild "natural wine" flaws. The old oak barrel aging coats the glass in a rich, deeply aromatic tapestry of caramelized apples, rye bread, and sweet gooseberries, layered with deep umami nuances. The vibe: It's been a long week and you bought this bottle to take to a friend's this weekend. Instead, you open this up with takeout carnitas (you can get another bottle for the weekend).