Êtes-vous prêt à découvrir une aventure cinématographique exceptionnelle au cœur de notre terroir champenois ? La...
10€ discount with the code "BIENVENUE" (for a purchase of 80€ or more)
Cart
(0)
Search in blog
Blog categories
- Winegrower artists (7)
- The History of Champagne (12)
- All about Champagne (82)
- Practice (19)
- Food and Wine (13)
- Output and Event (3)
- People (8)
- What a dish with this Champagne (7)
- Events around the Champagne (11)
- Champagne World (21)
- Outings in the Champenois vineyards (4)
- The experts (30)
- Tips and Tricks (17)
- At the table (9)
- News (72)
- Insolit (12)
Latest posts
The Secrets of the Shooting of Champagne Problems on Netflix in the Land of Champagne!
Read more
Goat's cheese and Champagne: a perfect match
Read more
The marriage of goat's cheese and Champagne represents a captivating gastronomic alliance. This unique combination...
The Secrets of Luxury Champagne Brands: What Insiders Don't Tell You
Read more
Imagine paying €2,000 for one bottle of champagne, while another, just as prestigious in appearance, costs €200. This...
Bernard Arnault's Influence on the Artistic Collaborations of Dom Pérignon
Read more
Bernard Arnault isn't just Europe's richest CEO - he's the architect of a revolution in the luxury goods industry...
Champagne Guide: Introduction to Tasting for Beginners
Read more
The champagne guide is an invaluable tool for those wishing to discover the fascinating world of golden bubbles....
Popular posts
Assemblage de Champagne: Le Savoir-Faire Artisanal Explained
Champagne, an emblematic region of France, is famous for its vineyards and wine production, and has been declared a...
Read more
Geographical location of Champagne
La zone de production de l’appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) Champagne, qui a été définie par une loi en 1927,...
Read more
The Best Champagnes to Celebrate Christmas with Elegance and Festivity
Christmas is a magical time of year when we celebrate with family and friends. And what better way to celebrate than...
Read more
How to uncork a bottle of champagne like a professional: complete guide
Uncorking a bottle of Champagne may seem intimidating, but with the right techniques, it becomes child's play. In...
Read more
Champagne bottle sizes and capacities
From the quart bottle to the Melchizedec or Midas, the size of champagne bottles can vary from a few centiliters to...
Read more
Blog tags
Champagne grape varieties
A grape variety is a vine variety that produces grapes. There are around
200 in France and over 10,000 worldwide.
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier account for almost all of the
grape varieties used in champagne production.
In recent years, the Comité Champagne has undertaken a program of research into new varieties. The aim is to cross authorized grape varieties with those that are naturally resistant to certain diseases, or have characteristics such as late ripening. In the long term, this would provide natural resistance and the ability to adapt to new climatic conditions.
CHARDONNAY
Chardonnay is the white grape variety of Champagne par excellence. It is planted on around 30% of the vineyard.
Originally from Burgundy, it is mainly found on the Côte des Blancs. Its bunches are small and elongated. Its berries are covered with a fairly thin skin, which turns golden during veraison. It is highly adaptable and produces great wines.
On the limestone soils of Champagne, it brings delicate aromas of citrus, anise and white flowers. It perfectly reproduces the minerality of the soil from which it comes.
Slowly evolving, it is the ideal grape variety for aging wines, thanks to its strong aromatic potential. It retains the freshness of the terroir, but also offers great complexity when aged in barrel. Aromas are enriched by sweet spices, toasted bread and honey, accompanied by a slightly creamy texture.
It is particularly sought-after for its finesse, elegance and aromatic qualities.
PINOT NOIR
Pinot Noir is the most widely planted grape variety in Champagne. It covers 38% of the vineyard. Black with white flesh, it is found in the Montagne de Reims, Cote des Bar and eastern Marne Valley regions.
This early-ripening variety has small, compact bunches, reminiscent of the pine cone from which it takes its name. Its thin-skinned berries are intensely colored with bluish-black or dark purple highlights. They produce a sweet, colorless juice.
Long known in Burgundy, it produces wines of great finesse, offering a vast palette of aromas.
Ideal for limestone soils, it flourishes in deep, well-drained soils. It brings body and power to the blend. It is distinguished by its structure and ageing capacity. It can be recognized by its fruity aromas of cherry or blackcurrant, but also by its notes of sweet spices such as cinnamon or licorice, and sometimes violet.
Its characteristics evolve according to terroir.
Thus, in the northern part of the Montagne de Reims, its aromas are powerful and severe. On the Côte des Bars, they are softer, almost velvety. As for Aÿ, the capital of Pinot Noir, they will be generous and greedy.
PINOT MEUNIER
A mutation of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier is a black-skinned, white-fleshed grape variety. It owes its name to the whitish film on its young leaves. It isthe second most widely planted grape variety in Champagne, behind Pinot Noir and ahead of Chardonnay.
It is prized for its vigor and resistance to climatic hazards. It is therefore planted on soils that may be exposed to spring frosts, particularly in the western part of the Marne Valley. It also ripens quickly and easily, even on less well exposed sites.
It offers fresh fruit aromas such as raspberry, apple or mirabelle plum, with low acidity. Used on its own in Blanc de Noirs or in blends, it brings roundness and suppleness.
Its rapid ageing makes it ideal for so-called Brut Sans Année champagnes, allowing shorter maturation than vintage champagnes.
Rarely found in Grand Cru and Premier
Cru, and long overshadowed by Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier has recently been given a new lease of life by the "Meunier Institut" winegrowers' association.
Other grape varieties
Although other grape varieties are allowed in Champagne production, they are only planted on 0.3% of the vineyard. There are four of them, all with white grapes. They are Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.
Arbane, also known as Albane, is virtually no longer cultivated due to its late ripening and low yields.
It has citrus and white fruit aromas.
Petit Meslier is an early ripening variety, which exposes it to spring frosts. Not very vigorous or productive, it is tending to disappear.
Rather lively, with citrus aromas and good acidity.
Pinot Blanc is a fairly vigorous grape variety with regular production. Mainly used in Alsace to make Crémant, it is rarely planted in Champagne.
With medium acidity, it is characterized by its yellow fruit aromas.
Pinot Gris, or Tokay in Alsace, is also fairly vigorous but not very productive.
It is well adapted to deep, relatively dry, well-exposed limestone soils.
It brings finesse and aromas. Its low acidity makes it unsuitable for ageing.
AssEmblyinG
Some cuvées, known as mono-cépages, highlight the qualities of a single grape variety. But the most common cuvées are those created by blending different types of grapes.
This is the original practice of champagne, attributed to Pierre Dom Pérignon. Indeed, it was in the second half of the 17th century that the monk cellarer at Hautvillers Abbey practiced and developed the art of blending. The exercise consisted in pressing grapes separately, then blending the different juices. Dom Pérignon used to taste the grapes after leaving them overnight in the open air, before judging their taste.
The aim was to get the best from each of them.
Blanc de Blancs
The term Blanc de Blancs refers to cuvées made exclusively from white grape varieties. In Champagne, these are cuvées made primarily from Chardonnay.
The term is also used for other sparkling wines made from white grapes.
The word "Champagne" on the label is an indication of the product's quality.
Related posts
Champagne PEHU SIMONET the art of preserving freshness
Champagne Pehu Simonet vineyard covers 5 hectares, mostly in Verzenay: "My vines are located in the heart of the...
Read more
How to store champagne? How should it be served? At what temperature?
If you have a cellar, this is ideal. You can store your bottles away from light (to avoid light tastes), at a...
Read more
The iodized notes of the Champagne blanc de blancs go very well with a seafood platter, especially oysters.
"A good dish, a good Champagne, and that's it." Nothing complicated about pleasing yourself at holiday time for...
Read more
Champagne bottle sizes and capacities
From the quart bottle to the Melchizedec or Midas, the size of champagne bottles can vary from a few centiliters to...
Read more
Geoffrey Orban - Revealing the DNA of Champagne's subsoils and future wines
Specialist of the Champagne terroirs, the Rémois Geolfrey Orban multiplies his interventions with the wine growers,...
Read more