Champagne Apollonis

Champagne Apollonis is the maison of Michel Loriot in Festigny, right in the middle of the Vallée de la Marne. The labels carry the brand name Apollonis, Michel's signature beneath it, and on every bottle the same phrase: "composé, élevé et vieilli en musique," composed, aged and matured in music. This isn't a marketing gimmick, it's the thread that ties the whole house together. The Cuvées are named like sheet music: Monodie, Composition, Saison, Prélude. And the instrument played here is Meunier.

Festigny and the Terroir

Festigny sits in the Vallée de la Marne, classic Meunier country. Around 80 percent of the house's vineyard area is planted with Meunier, the rest split between Chardonnay and a little Pinot Noir. The soils that run through the fact sheets of the individual Cuvées are a mix of sand, clay and limestone, sometimes sandy loam, sometimes clay-limestone. One of the Cuvées, Terra, carries the addition "Vignes de Festigny" and comes exclusively from the village's parcels: Terroir as a solo piece.

Family and Generations

The family history can be traced back across several generations. Léopold Loriot (born 1867), saxophonist in the Festigny brass band, was 1903 the first winegrower in the village to set up a press. His wife Palmyre followed in the footsteps of her ancestor Mathurin Leboucq, who was already growing wine in Nesle-le-Repons back in 1675. Germain bottled the house's first 300 bottles commercially in 1931, and it's also to him that the first varietal Meunier goes back. Henri expanded the estate in 1952, and Michel Loriot (born 1959) founded his own operation in 1977. Today Marie Petit-Loriot represents the junior generation on board as co-manager.

The family writes itself into the Cuvées. Marie Léopold links Léopold's name with the youngest generation, Palmyre is dedicated to the great-grandmother. Reading through the range means reading a family tree at the same time.

Signature Style: Meunier and Music

Two things define the house. First, Meunier, taken seriously as the main variety rather than an afterthought. The pinnacle is Monodie, a varietal Meunier from old vines that Germain planted in 1942. "Monodie" means single-voice song, mono Cru, mono grape variety, and that's exactly how the Cuvée is conceived: a single voice, as clear as possible.

Second, the low Dosage. Most Cuvées sit between 5 and 7 g/l, several are made as Extra Brut, and Palmyre comes with no Dosage at all (Zéro Dosage). The range itself is organized into three registers that carry the musical theme forward: Prélude (the approachable Cuvées), Variation and Virtuose (the vintage and Vieilles Vignes wines).

The Cuvées in Detail

Prélude

Meunier: the house's varietal Meunier, in the tradition of Germain's first 100 percent Meunier. 100% Meunier · Brut 7 g/l
Composition: the classic Assemblage, Meunier-driven with a touch of Chardonnay. 60% Meunier · 30% Chardonnay · 10% Pinot Noir · Brut 7 g/l
Composition Rosé: rosé with a share of red-vinified Pinot Noir. 60% Meunier · 15% Chardonnay · 25% Pinot Noir (10% vinified as red wine) · Brut 7 g/l

Variation

Sources du Flagot: Blanc de Chardonnay from the Chardonnay parcels along the little Flagot stream. 100% Chardonnay · Extra Brut 5 g/l · Vintage 2013
Marie Léopold: deliberately made as "Dry" rather than Brut, a tribute to Léopold and the family's succession. 60% Meunier · 30% Chardonnay · 10% Pinot Noir · Sec 18 g/l
Palmyre: Zéro Dosage, dedicated to the great-grandmother. 40% Meunier · 45% Chardonnay · 15% Pinot Noir · Brut Nature 0 g/l

Virtuose (Vintage and Old Vines)

Monodie 2013: varietal Meunier from the old vines planted in 1942, the top of the range. 100% Meunier · Vieilles Vignes · Extra Brut 5 g/l · Vintage 2013
Saison 2014: the grape varieties "in harmony," a mature Assemblage. 55% Meunier · 35% Chardonnay · 10% Pinot Noir · Extra Brut 5 g/l · Vintage 2014
Terra 15: exclusively from Festigny's vines. 60% Meunier · 35% Chardonnay · 5% Pinot Noir · Extra Brut 2 g/l · Vintage 2015

Facts

Category	Detail
Brand	Champagne Apollonis
Winegrower	Michel Loriot
Legal Form	EARL M. Loriot
Status	Récoltant-Manipulant (RM)
Contact	Marie Petit-Loriot (junior generation, co-management)
Address	13 Rue de Bel Air, 51700 Festigny
Village	Festigny
Region	Vallée de la Marne
Terroir	Sand, clay and limestone
Grape Variety Focus	Meunier (around 80% of vineyard area)
Signature Style	Cuvées as music scores, low Dosage, old Meunier vines
Website	champagneapollonis.com
Instagram	@apollonischampagne

Sources for this portrait: range and maison presentation from Champagne Apollonis (FR and EN, 2026), leaflet, and correspondence with Marie Petit-Loriot. Fields without sufficient verification remain open. A tasting of my own will follow with the bottle page.