Grande Champagne Cognac House
Est. 1805
Founded in 1805 in Saint-Même-les-Carrières. Discover two centuries of uninterrupted production, rare vintages, and three Guinness World Records.
The three pillars
of our success
The Heritage
Simon Croizet (1786–1854), a former sommelier attached to Napoleon I's Haut Commandement, founded the house in 1805. His grandson Léon Benjamin led the reconstitution of Grande Champagne's vineyards after phylloxera and was appointed Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur in 1902.
The Terroir
Grande Champagne was classified as the premier cru following Henri Coquand's geological survey in the 1860s, formalised by decree in 1938. Cretaceous chalk gives the eaux-de-vie — the distilled spirits aged in oak — a mineral character suited to long maturation.
The Recognition
Gold medals at the Paris Expositions Universelles of 1878 and 1900. Three Guinness World Records, each certified with the Cuvée Léonie 1858 — a pre-phylloxera comet vintage.
Inside the House
The working journal of a cognac house founded in 1805. Production notes from the cellar master. Discoveries from two centuries of commercial archive — letters, vintage labels, exhibition diplomas. Updates on new releases and the evolving estate. A record of what the house does, and how.
The JournalThe Collections
Visit the Estate
Former limestone quarries worked since the twelfth century. Underground galleries to 50 metres. Tastings of current releases and, by appointment, vintage expressions. Open year-round.
Single Vintage Cognac
Spirits distilled from a single harvest year, sealed under the BNIC two-key system. The current range spans the 1960s to the 1990s, alongside the Cuvée Léonie 1858 — distilled in 1858.
Single Vintage Collection
Commercial Enquiries
Distribution, import partnerships, and private client acquisitions. Grande Champagne cognac from an estate founded in 1805.
Contact the House