Mercier's story has always been one of vision, brilliance, and innovation.
Eugene Mercier was just 20 years old when he established his own champagne house. A creative visionary, he always knew how to surprise and amaze the public, launching a series of unusual promotions, tastings and expositions that propelled the name of Mercier into the spotlight - including one memorable event involving a hot air balloon that was swept away by the wind, blowing its unfortunate inhabitants from Paris to Belgium (but all with a flute of Mercier in hand).
Construction of the Mercier cellars began in 1871, and took six years to complete. The final underground tunnels spanned an impressive 18km - which Eugene took full advantage of, opening them up to tours drawn by horse-drawn carriages, which the President of France himself enjoyed in 1891. To this day, Mercier remains a hotspot of attraction in Champagne, even boasting the 'giant wine cask' - an enormous wine barrel that won second prize at the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris, beaten only by the Eiffel Tower. The wines themselves more than stand up to the brilliance of the winery's founder: splendidly floral, vivacious, and entirely memorable.
