Page 66 - GV2020 Portfolio Master

CHAMPAGNE
Champagne is on the verge of profound change.
There is a growing realization in the region that its
viticulture has become slovenly and the subtleties
of its terroir have been neglected. The era of great
growers and great vineyards is just beginning. Reims
-The New France Henriot

Avize
Aӱ Jacques Selosse
Ayala
Bollinger
Bellefon

Mareuil-sur-Aӱ
Billecart—Salmon Le Mesnil-sur-

Oger
Delamotte
Salon

Epernay
Gosset

‘For many wine drinkers, Champagne is not simply a wine; it is also a state of mind!’ - Karen MacNeil

The best Champagne has a combination of freshness, richness, delicacy, and raciness, and a gently stimulating strength, that no
Sparlking wine from anywhere else has yet achieved. Part of Champagne’s secret lies in its combination of latitude and precise
position. It is centered on a small range of hills rising from a chalk plain, and carved in two by the River Marne. The Marne
départment produces more than two-thirds of all Champagne, but there are vineyards in Aube to the south that specialize in
vigorous, fruity Pinot Noir, and the mainly Pinot Meunier vineyards on the banks of the River Marne extend westwards well into
the Aisne départment.
The heart of Champagne contains the Montagne de Reims, Cȏte des Blancs, and the Vallée de la Marne.
The Montagne de Reims is planted mainly to Pinot Noir and to a lesser extent Pinot Meunier. Pinot planted on such north-facing
slopes as those of Verzenay and Verzy at the north, and Ay further south, contribute to the bouquet, the headiness, and the acidity
and backbone of the blend.
The Vallée de la Marne in the west has a succession of south-facing slopes which tra the sun and make these the fullest, roundest
and ripest wines, with plenty of aroma. These too are predominantly black grapes, famous for Pinot Noir in the best-exposed sites.
The east-facing slopes south of Epernay is the Cȏte des Blancs, planted with Chardonnay that gives freshness and finesse to a
blend. Cramant, Avize, and Le Mesnil are three villages with long-respected names for their Blanc de Blancs.
-The Wine Atlas

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