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Situated 145 kilometers (90 miles) east of Paris is Champagne, a region spanning 35,208 hectares across chalk and limestone soils. Champagne produces over 300 million bottles of sparkling wine each year and brings in 20% of France’s wine revenue, though it only accounts for 4% of all French vineyard land. From the Massif de Saint-Thierry in the north to the upstart Aube in the south, there are over 36,000 landowners within the AOC, with 56% owning less than one hectare.
By numbers, prestige, and popularity, this is one of the world’s most important winemaking regions. This guide will dive into the grapes, places, and styles that make Champagne so special.
Champagne is the most northerly major wine region in France. It is located approximately 300 kilometers southeast of the United Kingdom and 145 kilometers east of Paris. This position determines Champagne’s climate, the most important factor of terroir when distinguishing Champagne from the rest of the sparkling wine world. Nowhere else can Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier grapes be grown on such a vast scale and achieve ripeness at a low ABV and a high level of acidity.
The low alcohol and high acid of Champagne’s base wines result in a lean structure ideal for bottle fermentation. Because of the fresh, crisp, undeveloped flavors of these wines, Champagne can seamlessly soak up the slowly evolving, yeast-complexed aromas of autolysis. Of all the factors contributing to Champagne’s terroir, climate and location are by far the most important. The height and slope of Champagne’s vineyards, and even its famous chalk soil, are secondary, as important as they may be in defining differences in relative quality.
Throughout history, Champagne’s boundaries have at times extended north into modern-day Belgium, south into Burgundy, west and southwest into the Loire Valley, and east into Lorraine. The boundaries of Champagne’s sparkling wine appellation itself have been fought over as recently as 1911 and were shrunk by the Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO) in 1951. Today, Champagne is separated from Belgium by the forested hills of the Ardennes, and its vineyards are spread across five departments: Marne (66% of Champagne’s vineyards), Aube (23%), Aisne (10%), Haute-Marne (0.002%), and Seine-et-Marne (1%).
The Champagne appellation consists of three zones: the zone de l’élaboration, the zone de production, and the zone parcellaire de production de raisins. The zone de l’élaboration marks the outer limits of the region, the rough-hewn area one might visualize on a map of French wine regions. This is the only part of the region where it is legal to vinify Champagne, or to transport Champagne grapes, juice, and wine, in bulk and in bottle, that have not yet been commercialized. Most of this zone cannot be planted. It is composed of 637 communes.
The zone de production is the next largest, consisting of entire villages in which vines may be cultivated. It is composed of 319 communes covering approximately 300,000 hectares. The zone parcellaire de production de raisinsconsists of a lacework of delimited viticultural parcels, representing only 35,208 hectares (of which, in 2019, 34,267 hectares were planted and 33,828 hectares were in production), a fraction of the surface area of the zone de production. It is also composed of 319 communes.
Though Champagne has various soils, it is best known for its chalk. On the slopes, belemnite chalk subsoils, derived from the fossilized remains of cephalopods, are sometimes exposed at the surface, helping retain heat and provide good drainage for the vines. Micraster chalk, composed of fossil material from an extinct genus of sea urchin, is found to a lesser extent, generally in the flatter valley vineyards. A thin layer of clay and sand covers much of the chalk in Champagne. In the Aube, the dominant soil type is not chalk but clay.
Champagne’s climate makes for an entirely unique growing region, one that is, in many ways, unsuited to viticulture. Frost or hail destroys an average of 5% of Champagne’s vineyards every year, while Atlantic-driven rain can impact flowering, makes the control of fungal diseases difficult, and has ruined many promising harvests. Yet these conditions allow producers to make great sparkling wine in significant volumes most of the time. To navigate the challenge of producing the requisite volume or quality, or both, the Champenois historically developed their own economic strategy by storing wines in times of plenty and blending different years. No other region has been able to valorize nonvintage wines to the extent that Champagne has, and no other region comes close to producing the same proportions of its wines (85% to 90%) in this format.
Comparing Champagne’s climatic norms with the minimum levels required for commercial viticulture demonstrates that Champagne is not just a cool-climate region; it is very cool and, even with the threat of global warming, on the edge of practical viticulture.
The growing season daily mean temperature has risen from 14.3 degrees Celsius (57.7 degrees Fahrenheit; the average over 40 years from the 1950s to the 1980s) to 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) in the 1990s. There has been a much sharper rise, to 16.6 degrees Celsius (61.9 degrees Fahrenheit), in the new millennium. The number of sunshine hours has increased 9.3% since the late 1970s, when it averaged 1,537 hours, which was barely over the assumed minimum. This low sunshine was especially acute as the angle of sun at 49 degrees latitude is only 65 degrees at the height of summer and drops to 49 degrees in the winter.
Champagne’s climate is dictated by its northerly location, between the 48th and 49th parallels, and by the oceanic effect of the Atlantic and the continental effect of the European landmass. Here, the last vestiges of a continental climate counter the ocean’s wet and windy impact. The Atlantic Ocean is often said to have a moderating effect, but it could equally be said that the continental climate has a moderating effect on the amount of wind and rain generated by the Atlantic. Champagne is precariously positioned, existing in a slightly shifting climatic corridor that is not truly dominated by either oceanic or continental influences.
When a high-pressure system on the western edge of Europe is weak, or a low-pressure system heading in from the Atlantic is strong, Champagne will receive days of prolonged downpour. The most powerful low-pressure systems to hit western Europe are the remnants of Atlantic hurricanes, and the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is from mid-August to late October, which coincides with the harvest and its immediate lead-up in Champagne.
Diurnal shift—the difference between the highest daytime temperature and lowest nighttime temperature (most often induced by nightly downdrafts of chilly air)—is key in any sparkling wine region, as a significant diurnal shift ensures acid preservation. In Champagne, the diurnal difference is extremely dependent on the time of year, with a classic September or October harvest delivering a diurnal difference of 10 to 15 degrees Celsius (18 to 27 degrees Fahrenheit), whereas an August harvest will benefit from only 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit). Because this reduced diurnal difference is insufficient to halt the vine’s metabolism, ripening continues and acids plummet. The first August harvest in the history of Champagne was in 2003, and there have been no fewer than five August harvests since, which is clear evidence of the region’s warming climate. The reduced diurnal difference does not mean that August harvests cannot produce high-quality Champagne, but it does not make high quality easy.
Although rarely seen today, Gouais Blanc is the parent or direct ancestor of more than 80 different European grape varieties through natural or spontaneous crossing, including Chardonnay (with Pinot Noir) and Petit Meslier (with Savagnin Blanc), making it part of Champagne’s DNA. Gouais is also a cousin of all the Pinot varieties, but most surviving examples are restricted to the Haut-Valais, in Switzerland (where it is known as Gwäss), and Piedmont, in Italy (under the name Preveiral or Liseiret). Despite its often-illustrious offspring, Gouais itself typically makes ordinary wine.
The Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC) began its clonal research program in the 1960s. The intent was to develop a clone of Pinot Noir that could resist the frosts in the Marne Valley and, as the more noble variety, be used in the replanting of the district’s predominantly Meunier vineyards. By the 1980s, a more pragmatic view of Meunier acknowledged that this grape was not just an asset to Champagne but essential to its reputation, and researchers were tasked with setting up a true clonal program for Meunier as well.
When grading Champagne clones, top Burgundian clones are seldom recommended, as the characteristics required are almost the opposite of those for still wines. This applies to Chardonnay as well as Pinot Noir, although the margins of difference for the latter are much greater. All sparkling wine clones require significantly higher acids and lower potential alcohol than clones used for still wines, but, in the case of Pinot Noir, a sparkling wine clone must also have the lowest possible phenolics and minimal color. Even a Pinot Noir clone used to color a rosé Champagne through blending would not rate highly as a red wine clone, because, although the color for both styles of wine should be deep, any noticeable tannins should be avoided in the latter.
The law of July 27, 1927, authorized only “les diverses variétés de pinot, l’arbanne, le petit meslier” for the production of Champagne, with no reference to Chardonnay, yet with Arbanne and Petit Meslier singled out. This was still the case when the law of January 17, 1978, became the first Champagne legislation to mention Chardonnay, slipping it into rules that modified the methods of pruning. Chardonnay was not listed as an authorized variety until 2010, when every AOC had to submit a new cahier des charges. So why was Chardonnay missing in the first place?
Although Chardonnay was known to be a distinct variety as long ago as 1868, it was commonly referred to in Champagne as Pinot Chardonnay as recently as the 1980s. In 1927, “diverses variétés de pinot” would have been understood to include Chardonnay.
Interestingly, in 1999, the parentage of Chardonnay was established as Gouais Blanc and Pinot Noir, making it a Pinot variety. In 2018, Chardonnay was determined to have 49% DNA from Pinot Noir and 17% DNA from the Gouais grape.
There is no such thing as the perfect clone for any style of wine. The best clone found on one site will always behave differently on other sites, because a vine’s performance is modified by factors such as soil, climate, rootstock, and viticultural practices. However supposedly superior any individual clone might be, it would be irresponsible to plant any vineyard block with a single clone. Its lack of genetic variation would render the entire block susceptible to disease and provide no insurance against any natural fluctuations in yield or fruit quality.
Chardonnay was historically misleadingly referred to as Pinot Chardonnay or Pineau Chardonnet, which is why the morphologically similar (but genetically and genealogically different) Pinot Blanc became known as Pinot Blanc Vrai or Pineau Blanc Vrai (True Pinot Blanc).
Chardonnay has the earliest bud burst of all Champagne grape varieties and is easily recognized in the vineyards at this stage by its fluffy buds, which are white with a gold edging. The classic area for Chardonnay is the Côte des Blancs, where the style ranges from floral in Cramant to intensely mineral in Le Mesnil. Running a close second is the eastern Montagne de Reims, where the villages of Trépail and Villers-Marmery can rival the greatest of the Côte des Blancs. Montagne Chardonnay has an emphatic minerality but is less chalky, with fruit that has more body and structure without any appreciable gain in weight. Chardonnay from the Côte de Sézanne is more overt but, with careful selection, can be very fine, while that from the Monts de Berru, north of the Montagne de Reims, is light and delicate, and that of Vitryat shares both lightness and minerality. Chardonnay maintains freshness in the bottle, is typically the last to exert itself in a blend, and has a natural tendency to show toasty aromas. Typically the longest lived of Champagne’s grape varieties, Chardonnay in classic examples has a linear structure with a very long, tapering, creamy finish.
There are 31 Chardonnay clones allowed in Champagne.
10,414 hectares (30.3%)
Known in Champagne as Plant Doré, Morillon, Noirien, and Auvernat long before the emergence of Pinot or Pineau, the Pinot Noir of Burgundy fame has a slight oxidative tendency in the production of sparkling wine. In purely relative terms, Pinot Noir does not age quite as well or maintain as much freshness in bottle as Chardonnay, but, arguably, it provides a more complex, highly mineral-driven wine. Because it is more difficult to ripen than Chardonnay, growers will refer to a Pinot Noir vintage only in the greatest years, while every year may be described as a Chardonnay vintage.
Blanc de noirs are rare compared with blanc de blancs, and not all blanc de noirs are pure Pinot Noir. Most are a blend of Pinot Noir and Meunier. There are almost 800 clones of Pinot Noir cataloged in France, all of which are conserved in collections in Alsace, Burgundy, and Champagne.
In Champagne, 43 Pinot Noir clones are allowed.
13,163 hectares (38.3%)
Meunier, like Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, is a mutation of Pinot Noir. It dates to at least the 16th century. By the mid-19th century, it accounted for three-quarters of all the vineyards in the Aisne. Meunier is easily recognized in the vineyard by its leaves, the undersides of which are white as if dusted with flour, hence its name (meunier is French for “miller,” as in a miller of flour). It grows easily and is significantly hardier than Pinot Noir, with slightly larger yet still quite small berries that form looser clusters, making it more resistant, though not immune, to rot. Generally, the wines from Meunier lack the depth, elegance, and persistence of Pinot Noir, yet they typically produce fruity wines that are attractive and easy to drink. Because the Meunier component of a blend usually peaks earlier and recedes relatively quickly, many producers prefer to use Meunier for nonvintage cuvées. But when grown at reasonably modest yields in villages such as Sainte-Gemme, Leuvrigny, and Hautvillers, in the central Marne Valley, Meunier can be outstanding in both its immediate appeal and potential longevity. Few blanc de noirs are pure Meunier.
There are 14 Meunier clones allowed in Champagne.
10,688 hectares (31.1%)
For four varieties that in total represent a tiny proportion of all the vines growing in Champagne today, Arbanne, Fromenteau, Petit Meslier, and Pinot Blanc receive a disproportionate amount of attention. Together, these grapes account for 103 planted hectares, or just 0.3% of the Champagne vineyard.
Arbanne
The earliest references to Arbanne date to the 14th century in Les Riceys, and by 1801 it was sufficiently well regarded to be mentioned by Jean-Antoine Chaptal, who singled out the Aubois vineyards of Morveaux, in Baroville. Two people are responsible for the revival of Arbanne: Lucien Moutard, who replanted it in 1952, and his grandfather Henry Maréchaux, who had maintained the variety in his nursery since 1900. According to 19th-century accounts, Arbanne has such a distinctive aroma that even in a blend, local growers would immediately exclaim, “Ah, Arbanne!” when entering a cuverie. The variety crops at very low yields.
Where It Is Grown: Bligny, Buxeuil, Chamery, Charly-sur-Marne, Chavot-Courcourt, Jouy-lès-Reims, Les Riceys, Oeuilly, Urville, Venteuil
Who Grows It: Aubry, Château de Bligny, Drappier, Jean-François Launay, Laherte Frères, Léguillette-Romelot, Moutard, Olivier Horiot, Perseval-Farge, Tarlant, Thomas Perseval
Pure Arbanne Cuvées: Arbane Pure (Olivier Horiot), Cépage Arbane (Moutard)
Fromenteau
Fromenteau (Pinot Gris) is a direct mutation of Pinot Noir. The wines of Sillery became famous in the 17th century thanks to Fromenteau, under the care of Nicolas Brûlart. From there the variety spread, becoming one of the most prolific in Champagne until the 19th century. By the 20th century, what was left of Fromenteau, mostly in the Aube, was usually mixed in with other grapes at the press house.
Where It Is Grown: Chamery, Chavot-Courcourt, Crouttes-sur-Marne, Jouy-lès-Reims, Les Riceys, Urville, Verzy
Who Grows It: Aubry, Dérot-Delugny, Drappier, Laherte Frères, Mouzon-Leroux, Olivier Horiot, Perseval-Farge
Pure Fromenteau Cuvées: Cuvée des Fondateurs (Dérot-Delugny), Trop M’en Faut (Drappier)
Petit Meslier
Another ancient white Champagne variety, Petit Meslier is a spontaneous cross of Gouais Blanc and Savagnin Blanc. Its traditional home is the Aube, where it once accounted for 4.5% of the vineyards (10 times the amount of Arbanne). It was also found in the Marne department, where the Petit Meslier of Venteuil enjoyed some repute. Plantings had dwindled to almost nothing by 1959, when it was revived—not in the Aube or Venteuil but in the lieu-dit of Corne Bautray, in Dizy, by the Chiquet family, who would later come to own Jacquesson. Because the variety struggles to ripen in Champagne’s climate, its contribution to any cuvée was initially to increase the acidity and reduce the alcohol. Its berries are very small, round, and dark yellow in color. In climates where it ripens well, it can show a resinous flavor.
Where It Is Grown: Bligny, Buxeuil, Chamery, Charly-sur-Marne, Chavot-Courcourt, Gyé-sur-Seine, Jouy-lès-Reims, Les Riceys, Oeuilly, Urville, Venteuil
Who Grows It: Aubry, Château de Bligny, Drappier, Duval-Leroy, Jacquesson, Jean-François Launay, Laherte Frères, Léguillette-Romelot, Mignon-Boulard, Moutard, Olivier Horiot, Perseval-Farge, Robert Barbichon, Tarlant, Thomas Perseval
Pure Petit Meslier Cuvées: Duval-Leroy Petit Meslier (formerly Authentis), Laherte Frères Petit Meslier
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Blanc’s cultivation was historically concentrated in the Côte des Blancs. There, Le Mesnil and Chouilly built their reputations not this grape—not on Chardonnay. Producers have struggled to work successfully with Pinot Blanc, as it can easily be overwhelmed by oak and bâtonnage, but that is perhaps a reflection less of the quality of the variety than of the skill of the winemaking.
Where It Is Grown: Bligny, Buxeuil, Celles-sur-Ource, Charly-sur-Marne, Chavot-Courcourt, Landreville, Les Riceys, Oeuilly, Polisot, Urville
Who Grows It: Cédric Bouchard, Château de Bligny, Drappier, François Gautherot, Laherte Frères, Léguillette-Romelot, Moutard, Olivier Horiot, Piollot, Tarlant, Thomas Perseval
Pure Pinot Blanc Cuvées: Colas Robin (Piollot), Cuvée des Lys (Philippe Fontaine), Cuvée Heritage (Emmanuel Tassin), Le Champ du Clos (Charles Dufour), L’Originale (Pierre Gerbais), Pinot Blanc Extra Brut (Chassenay d’Arce), Roses de Jeanne La Bolorée (Cédric Bouchard)
Champagne AOC in 1927: 46,000 hectares (407 villages)
Champagne AOC in 1951: 34,000 hectares (302 villages)
Champagne AOC in 2019: 34,267 hectares (319 villages)
While there are various ways to delimit the regions of Champagne, this guide will consider eight districts, each with its own aspect, dominant grape variety, and different expression of chalk and limestone. In the heart of the region, the Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, and Marne Valley are home to Champagne’s larger negociants and most famous growers. Further south, the Côte des Bar is a classic but less-famous region of production that has been gaining more steam each vintage as young growers push the quality of the region higher. Outside of these four major producing areas are four other districts: the Coteaux du Morin, Côte de Sézanne, Vitryat, and Montgueux.
Some of the districts are subdivided (as indicated below) into officially designated, albeit informally delimited, component parts for reference purposes and data analysis.
Champagne AOC in 2018: 7,989 hectares (94 villages)
Subdistricts: Grande Montagne; Massif de Saint-Thierry; Monts de Berru; Ardre Valley, Vesle Valley, and City of Reims
The Montagne de Reims is usually taken to be synonymous with the Grande Montagne: the hilly, vine-clad outcrop with a densely forested top that rises to about 270 meters above the surrounding plains between Reims (in the north) and Épernay (in the south). By its broadest definition, however, the Montagne de Reims is S-shaped, the top loop curling around the northern edge of Reims itself, from the Monts de Berru (east of the city), to the Massif de Saint-Thierry, into the Vesle and Ardre valleys, an area formerly referred to as the Petite Montagne. The bottom loop forms a broad curve between Reims and Épernay to the south, ending with the vineyards of Bouzy, northeast of Aÿ.
Grande Montagne
Champagne AOC in 2018: 4,055 hectares (21 villages)
Restricted to the bottom curve of the Montagne de Reims, the Grande Montagne is Champagne’s preeminent area for Pinot Noir, containing 10 grand cru villages (Ambonnay, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Bouzy, Louvois, Mailly-Champagne, Puisieulx, Sillery, Tours-sur-Marne, Verzenay, and Verzy) and 12 premiers crus (Billy-le-Grand, Chigny-les-Roses, Ludes, Montbré, Rilly-la-Montagne, Taissy, Tauxières-Mutry, Trépail, Trois Puits, Vaudemanges, Villers-Allerand, and Villers-Marmery). The Grande Montagne comprises three distinct microzones: the Northern Montagne, the Eastern Montagne, and the Southern Montagne.
At first glance, it seems counterintuitive that the Northern Montagne, which extends from Villers-Allerand to Verzenay, should be regarded as one of the most sought-after areas of any classic wine region. Yet the vines thrive on the region’s north-facing slopes thanks to the protection offered by the Montagne’s famed thermal blanket. Because the Grande Montagne is a freestanding formation, the chilled night air slips away, down the slopes onto the plain. As it does so, it draws warmer air from a thermal zone that builds up above the forested Montagne during the day. The effect of this is plainly demonstrated, especially when autumnal frost strikes. As the cold air moves down the slopes each night, it collects in dips on the lower slopes. These pools of dense cold air and fog slow the ripening process, shut down the vine, and advance the autumnal browning of the leaves. With this change of color, it is easy to spot the dips in the landscape that would otherwise be covered by the panoramic sweep of vines on the Grande Montagne. The resulting grapes are less sweet than those of surrounding vines that are still vivid green. When frost strikes, these cold pockets of vines are hit first and hardest, whereas the vines on the free-draining slopes are hit last and lightest, as they are protected by the convection of warm air.
The topsoil of the Grande Montagne consists primarily of a loess drift that has been derived from sandy and clayey lignite (a soft, dark brown, sedimentary rock), chalk rubble, and clayey colluvium. Topsoil on the upper slopes can be sparse, but elsewhere it can be deep and heavy, particularly on the middle slopes where boulder clay dominates. On the lower slopes, it is crumblier and composed mostly of chalk rubble. The subsoil is essentially chalk. In the Northern Montagne, micraster chalk sometimes encroaches on the customary realm of belemnite chalk. Occasionally, there are areas of sand, sandy limestone, and sandstone, both as outcrops and as strata within the chalk subsoil itself. The Moulin de Verzenay, for example, stands not on chalk but on a vast outcrop of sandy limestone. Marlstone can be found on some of the highest slopes, where there are also isolated strata of fine calcareous sand up to 15 meters thick. Important lignite deposits are common, as the Montagne is littered with cendrières (lignite mines).
The Eastern Montagne starts at Verzy, although the village has diverse soils and a combination of opposing aspects that make it more of a transitional area than a true Eastern Montagne village. The vineyards of neighboring Trépail (91% Chardonnay) and Villers-Marmery (98% Chardonnay), however, are definitive expressions of this microzone. Viewed from the D26 road of the Northern Montagne during the early months of the year, the leafless vines look like columns of gnarled old men in perfect formation, bent almost double. This is the cordon de Royat, the preferred vine-training system for Pinot Noir. But southward, viewed from the D26 of the Eastern Montagne, the vines suddenly change to the more bush-like Chablis system, announcing that this is Chardonnay country. The villages of Billy-le-Grand (66% Chardonnay) and Vaudemanges (83% Chardonnay) are less intensively cultivated and are physically disconnected at the foot of the Montagne.
The Chardonnay of the Eastern Montagne differs from that of the Côte des Blancs. Some might say it is less classic, but it is arguably a different sort of classic—and just as ageworthy, as anyone who has tasted mature vintages of Palmer blanc de blancs will testify.
The Southern Montagne is dominated by impressive swaths of vines on beautiful, sun-drenched, south-facing slopes centering on Bouzy and Ambonnay. There are also a few scattered vineyards that are less well regarded. Generally the fruit from the Southern Montagne is more complex than that of the Northern Montagne, which is more linear, with greater minerality, despite the Southern Montagne's higher chalk content (93% compared with 59% in Verzenay). Tours-sur-Marne’s vineyards are continuous with those of the Southern Montagne; even though the village touches the Marne River, the grand cru is considered part of the Montagne de Reims by the Union des maisons de Champagne (UMC).
Massif de Saint-Thierry
Champagne AOC in 2018: 1,002 hectares (17 villages)
Often considered part of the Petite Montagne, the Massif de Saint-Thierry is a completely different geological formation, with significant variation in soil types, aspect, and elevation. It is not a continuation of the series of hills that define the Petite Montagne to the south but, rather, a detached cuesta, with beds of fine yellowish and greenish-white calcareous sand, up to 15 meters deep and interbedded in strata of Lutetian limestone—not chalk. Locals say that the fame of Saint-Thierry dates to at least the early 19th century, but this reputation was built on a single, walled vineyard called Clos de Saint-Thierry, not on the entire village, and the wine that achieved this renown was not a Champagne but a vin rouge.
Monts de Berru
Champagne AOC in 2018: 373 hectares (5 villages)
Monts de Berru is an isolated outcrop of vines a few kilometers east of Reims. The vines grow in three villages perched on the corners of a pure chalk triangular elevation. The southeast-facing slopes at Nogent-l’Abbesse have the best aspect and, quite extraordinarily for vineyards north of the Northern Montagne, are planted almost entirely with Chardonnay. It was from Mont Berru that the German artillery rained down on Reims in World War II.
An even smaller and more isolated outcrop of vines to the east of Monts de Berru is an area known as Moronvilliers, where the vines are confined to the villages of Selles and Pontfaverger-Moronvilliers, which for bureaucratic purposes have been added to the Monts de Berru subdistrict. Pontfaverger-Moronvilliers is planted exclusively to Chardonnay, whereas Selles is planted almost entirely with Meunier. Moët & Chandon, the solitary owner of all the vineyards in both villages, has a small trial plot of Chardonnay in Selles.
Ardre Valley, Vesle Valley, and City of Reims
Champagne AOC in 2018: 2,558 hectares (51 villages)
While there has been very little historical mention of vineyards in the city of Reims, the Vesle and Ardre valleys are well established and should be regarded as separate subdistricts.
Ardre Valley
The vineyards of the Ardre valley run diagonally from Saint-Gilles, just south of Fismes, to Courtagnon and Nanteuil-la-Forêt. This is Meunier country, although many of the vineyards are broken up into small plots scattered on either side of the valley. The best sites are all south facing to some degree. There is, for example, a cluster of southwest-facing vineyards between Serzy-et-Prin and Faverolles, on the right bank of the Ardre. A little farther south, two hillsides of excellent exposure face each other between the villages of Brouillet and Lagery. To the east, the vines of Saint-Euphraise-et-Clairizet have full south exposure, but the finest of all Ardre valley sites is the southwest-facing slope of Courmas, just over the hill from Villedommange, in the Petite Montagne.
The most important vineyards of this composite subdistrict are collectively known as the Petite Montagne. It is hard to define where the Petite Montagne starts and stops, but its core forms an unbroken stretch of vineyards from Vrigny to Sermiers. Here, there is a significant divergence from Meunier to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay—although the center of the Petite Montagne has historically been as much Meunier country as its outlying areas. There, vast swaths of Meunier remain in villages such as Sermiers and Villedommange.
Vesle Valley
Even more so than the Ardre, the Vesle valley is a disparate collection of growths, and it has always been difficult to unstitch these vineyards from those of the southern section of the Massif de Saint-Thierry.
City of Reims
The city of Reims should be considered separately from the region of Reims, which might consist of villages on the periphery of Reims but with vineyards in the Vesle valley, Massif de Saint-Thierry, and lower slopes of the Montagne de Reims itself. Within the city limits there are no fewer than 54 hectares, just over 22 hectares of which belong to Pommery: the famous Clos Pompadour. Just under 1.5 kilometers west of Clos Pompadour is Clos Lanson. Both of these properties are true clos in true city locations, thus doubly protected by their walls and the surrounding buildings.