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Journey to the Côte des Blancs (Part 2): SOUTH

  • March 4, 2021

A chilled bottle of Blanc de Blancs champagne naturally epitomises the scents and flavours of summer. Its refreshingly dry and mineral-driven, citrus-forward profile pairs perfectly with light starters, natural oysters, fresh fish and all manners of crustaceans. And it is in the Côte des Blancs region—the viticultural world’s chalky, salty slice of paradise—where these appetising, Chardonnay-derived cuvées find their spiritual calling.

As we continue our exploration of the Côte des Blancs, we aim to shine a spotlight on the devoted purists who are redefining the world’s greatest sparkling wine as vin de terroir—a wine of specific place and time—first and foremost, then as a Champagne second—one delicious, summer-ready cuvée at a time.

Part 1 of our ‘Summer Series’ on the Côte des Blancs can be read here.

Part 3 of our ‘Summer Series’ on the Côte des Blancs can be read here.

While the wines in the north of the Côte des Blancs tend to be richer, those in the south are typically tense and electric with briny minerality. These differences can be attributed to the geological variation in soil, as villages to the south can have less clay content and topsoil than their northern counterparts, allowing vine roots to plunge deeper into the white, chalky terroir to extract the salt, depth and purity of its distinguished provenance.

Sally Hillman’s signature map – Champagne A.O.C.

In Part 2 of our feature on the prestigious Côte des Blancs, we delve into the south, highlighting two Grand Cru villages and four Premier Cru villages. For this series of informative articles, we refer to Côte des Blancs as the area defined by the Union de Maisons de Champagne. This is to be differentiated from the subregion of Côte des Blancs, which encompasses the area of Côte des Blancs plus four others further south: Val du Petit Morin, Côte de Sézanne, Vitryat and Montgueux.

Sally Hillman’s signature map of Côte des Blancs, Coteaux du Morin & Côte de Sézanne

 

Oger [o•jay], a Grand Cru* village

Located south of Avize, Oger is a Grand Cru village planted to 100% Chardonnay, with a vineyard area that lies in a large, sun-drenched bowl along the main, east-facing côte (slope) of the Côte des Blancs. Encompassing the features of balanced elegance and the pure, chalky minerality renown of the neighbouring village, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, the cuvées produced in Oger are also rich and voluptuous with fragrant, floral fruitiness stemming from ripe grapes that are fully exposed to the sunlight and warmth. Each year since 2019, Champagne Domaine Vincey has released a phenomenal single-vintage Oger cuvée that exemplifies the intense concentration and sumptuous drinkability of prestigious Chardonnay vines that bask in Oger’s natural hillside amphitheatre.

Oger fruit is also found in champagne blends, and a fine example lies in Champagne Agrapart’s Terroirs NV—a Blanc de Blancs with fruit coming from Avize, Cramant, Oger and Oiry. Here, Oger’s generosity and sophistication is on full display; superbly balanced with the power and austerity of Avize, the concentration and composure of Cramant, and the chalky tension of Oiry.

 

Pascal Agrapart

 

Le Mesnil-sur-Oger [luh may•neel sur o•jay], a Grand Cru* village

Awarded Grand Cru status in 1985, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is a village planted to 100% Chardonnay with a celebrated history dating back to the turn of the 20th century. Two of the most iconic vineyards in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger are Clos du Mesnil (in the centre of the village) and Les Chétillons (southeast of the village), the former of which is inextricably tied to the names ‘Salon’ and ‘Krug’ for many.

Since 1905, Salon was the first known cuvée to be assembled from a single village, and this Blanc de Blancs—made only in the best years—remains a widely coveted release produced entirely from vines within Clos du Mesnil. Each release of Salon invariably displays the supreme chalkiness, racy acidity and longevity that defines the village’s identity. A similarly complex offering from the same, walled vineyard is Krug’s inimitable Clos du Mesnil. Here, the vines lie on a slope facing south-east, receiving plenty of sunlight and warmth that provides a hedonistic complement to Le Mesnil-sur-Oger’s chalky minerality and acidity.

Rodolphe Péters of Champagne Pierre Péters is the most fêted grower-producer in the village, and his vintage cuvée, Les Chétillons, is the most prized offering from the eponymous vineyard. Assembled from three different parcels of Chardonnay within the vineyard, fruit is vinified separately and then blended, magnifying the elegant finesse and chalky complexity that is Le Mesnil-sur-Oger’s hallmark.

A more accessible cuvée from Champagne Pierre Péters is the Extra Brut NV—a Blanc de Blancs created from the fruit of four plots in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize and Cramant. A vintage champagne, this cuvée is assembled from fruit grown only in the same year and blended with around 20% perpetual reserve wine. Boasting a confident and athletic line of acidity with a finish that lingers with briny minerality and anchored by an intensely chalky grip, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger’s presence truly shines in Extra Brut NV.

The village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Image credit: Champagne Pierre Péters.

 

Vertus [vair•too], a Premier Cru* village

Further down the east-facing slope sits Vertus, a large Premier Cru village of 540ha, with most of its plantings concentrated to Chardonnay (92%) and the remainder to Pinot noir. The village itself can be divided into two regions—north and south—owing to variations in terroir and, therefore, wine profile.

Lying on chalk-heavy soils with little topsoil, the vines in the north of Vertus produce wines that are lively, crystalline and tense. Here, Champagne Larmandier-Bernier produces one of the most legendary and patently terroir-focused wines of the entire Champagne appellation, Terre de Vertus 2014. A 100% Chardonnay champagne finished with zero dosage, this vintage cuvée is complex and pristine on the palate, with briny minerality and a fine, linear finish that is distinctly representative of the village—an immaculate vision of Vertus.

Another spectacular vintage Blanc de Blancs is Champagne Pernet & Pernet’s Les Herbevoies. Named after the lieu-dit (single parcel of vines) from which it is crafted, Les Herbevoies is elaborated from vines located in the north of Vertus, towards Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The vines are gently exposed to the south-east, offering a fresh yet mature Blanc de Blancs stamped with intense minerality—the great signature of the Côte des Blancs.

The southern section of Vertus slopes slightly south-east with vines sitting on deeper clay soils in some areas. Together, these differences impart an expansive generosity and charm to cuvées without compromising on the refreshing minerality that is inherent to wines from the southern Côte des Blancs. Champagne Larmandier-Bernier’s Latitude NV is a Blanc de Blancs assembled from ripe grapes sourced from vineyards along the same latitude in the south of Vertus. Generous in both depth and breadth of flavour, this aptly named cuvée bristles with saline minerality and finishes long and rich, as notes of ripe mandarin elevate the palate with mouth-watering acidity.

Carte Larmandier-Bernier Image credit: Champagne Larmandier-Bernier

 

Bergères-lès-Vertus [bere•jere lay ver•too], a Premier Cru* village

The vineyards in the Premier Cru village of Bergères-lès-Vertus are continuous with those in the southern part of Vertus, with similar soils and slopes largely facing south-east until the main Côte des Blancs slope ends.

Notably, the vineyards at the southern end of Bergères-lès-Vertus lie on the eastern flank of a free-standing hill, the Mont Aimé, which is detached from the main, east-facing côte (similar to the Butte de Saran hill in the northern Côte des Blancs, discussed in Part 1). Due to the higher elevation, the climate here is cooler than Vertus, and the soils are a unique mix of chalk, sand, flint and marl. This terroir produces fascinating Chardonnay-based wines that are delicate and stony with flinty minerality and a smoky appeal.

An exciting new development, Champagne Larmandier-Bernier have recently purchased a vineyard along the slopes of the Mont Aimé. Though it will be some time before it makes a debut on the wine circuit, we are certain of its potential in the careful hands of a family that has devoted itself to expressing terroir through biodynamic viticulture, natural vinification and minimal intervention practices since 1999.

Villeneuve-Renneville [veel•nuv ren•veel], a Premier Cru* village

The vineyards of Villeneuve-Renneville are continuous with those of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Vertus, however, they lie on flat terrain below the main, east-facing slope of the Côte des Blancs. Vineyards are predominantly planted to Chardonnay, and there are 19 vineyard owners across 96.30ha of vines. Typicity is not widely spoken of as wines from this village are rarely seen in isolation, though they appear in blends from the Grandes Marques (translating to the ‘Big Brands’, this unofficial term refers to the major Champagne Houses which often purchase fruit from growers to blend into a consistent House style). 

 

Voipreux [vwah•pruh], a Premier Cru* village

The vineyards of our final Premier Cru village, Voipreux, are also located on flat terrain below the main, east-facing slope of the Côte des Blancs and are continuous with those of Vertus and Villeneuve-Renneville. Predominantly planted to Chardonnay, there are 32 vineyard owners across 41.10ha of vines. Similar to the wines of Villeneuve-Renneville, typicity is not widely spoken of, as wines from Voipreux are rarely seen in isolation, though they appear in blends from the Grandes Marques.

While the cuvées discussed are all excellent examples of Blanc de Blancs from the esteemed villages of the southern Côte des Blancs, they by no means exhaust this region’s greatness. We invite you to explore these terroir expressions as we build upon our database with more producers and cuvées further afield. The power of knowledge, shared with the magic of Champagne, is simply irrésistible.

Santé!

*Cru indicates a group of vineyards belonging to a specific village in Champagne. There are 17 Grand Cru villages followed by 42 Premier Cru villages in Champagne. Established in 1911 as a formal ranking to fix grape prices, Houses eventually began negotiating directly with growers in 1990, leading to the abolishment of Champagne’s classification system in 2010. Nevertheless, the terms Grand Cru and Premier Cru can still be used on champagne labels.
PrevPreviousJourney to the Côte des Blancs (Part 1): NORTH
NextJourney to the Côte des Blancs (Part 3): THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLEDNext

Champagne Domaine Vincey: delivering cuvées of rip-roaring drinkability and delight!

August 7, 2022

In 2010, Quentin Vincey, 8th generation vigneron, took up the family mantle and, with the help of his partner Marine Zabarino, quickly set out to

READ ENTRY

All About Arnaud (Lallement)!

July 8, 2022

Earlier this week, three-starred chef Arnaud Lallement received the Ordre national du Mérite (a French order of merit) at his restaurant, L’Assiette Champenoise, in Tinqueux,

READ ENTRY
Grower-producer v's Grande Marque: What's the diff Grower-producer v's Grande Marque: What's the difference?

At Sally Hillman we consider there are two broad categories of champagne; one is produced on a large scale by the well-known Grandes Marques, the other category consists of the grower champagnes, also known as récoltant manipulant champagnes.

Grandes Marques (‘Great Brands’), largely drive Australia’s champagne market. As the most prominent Houses, the Grandes Marques have a long history of wine production in Champagne, achieving fame and fortune through the creation of non-vintage champagne blends that remain consistent in style each year. Their success lies in delivering a reliable experience for the consumer and in promoting aspirational ideals of luxury, celebrity and celebration that have been heavily marketed for the past two centuries.

Grower champagnes are produced by the growers themselves (also called grower-producers), who pride themselves on creating champagnes from vines that are exclusively their own. These Houses are family-owned and operated, and estate holdings are generally no more than a few hectares, passed down from generation to generation. Their aim is to craft wines from low yields and sustainable farming practices, vinified using natural, low-intervention winemaking processes that hone in on site-specific expressions of fruit, terroir and vintage.

Discover elegant gifts, grower champagne and Australia’s most diverse range of Lehmann glassware at SallyHillman.com.au 🔗in bio

We deliver Australia wide.

#SallyHillman #CelebratingChampagne #champagne #growerchampagne
#champagnegifts #luxuryglassware #champagneglasses #champagneglassware
#wineglass #wine #winelover #winetime #winetasting #winelovers #redwine #whitewine #champagnelover #champagnetasting #instachampagne #champagnemoments
Champagne and cheese is the perfect marriage in ga Champagne and cheese is the perfect marriage in gastronomy and will always dazzle and delight, no matter the occasion, season or even time of day! 

Whether you prefer to indulge in a moment of late winter sun, drift into afternoon aperitifs or pamper yourself with weekends full of comfort cuisine and party-pleasing platters, ‘brie-lieve’ us when we say there is a delicious duo of champagne and cheese that exists for every feast from breakfast through to dessert. 

Read on, we promise it doesn’t get much ‘cheddar’ than this!

Our Le Journal article ‘Sweet Dreams are Made of Cheese … and Champagne!’ Can be found at the 🔗 in our bio.

SallyHillman.com.au

#SallyHillman #CelebratingChampagne 
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#wineglass #wine #winelover #winetime #winetasting #winelovers #redwine #whitewine #champagnelover #champagnetasting #instachampagne #champagnemoments
Making plans to entertain friends this weekend? Making plans to entertain friends this weekend? 

The invigorating character and effervescence of champagne makes it an ideal aperitif or food companion for many appetisers, cuisines and even for sweet treats.

We warmly invite you to pop a bottle in the fridge and preheat the oven as we explore the best food partners for different types of champagne in our Le Journal article, ‘Champagne, Chips and Culinary Combinations’.

Read via the link 🔗in our bio.

SallyHillman.com.au

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#champagne #growerchampagne
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Bon week-end! Celebrating the finish of yet anoth Bon week-end!

Celebrating the finish of yet another busy week! 🥂🍾

Discover elegant gifts, grower champagne and Australia’s most diverse range of Lehmann glassware at SallyHillman.com.au 🔗in bio

We deliver Australia wide

#SallyHillman #CelebratingChampagne #champagne #growerchampagne
#champagnegifts #luxuryglassware #champagneglasses #champagneglassware
#wineglass #wine #winelover #winetime #winetasting #winelovers #redwine #whitewine #champagnelover #champagnetasting #instachampagne #champagnemoments
Domaine Vincey 'Interlude' NV Lemon gold in colou Domaine Vincey 'Interlude' NV

Lemon gold in colour, Interlude NV pours forth with an intriguing fragrance of stone fruit, garden blossom, lanolin and dried honey. 

On the palate, the cuvée is immensely textural and rich, peeling back to reveal fleshy layers of papaya and ripe orange with waxy highlights—natural, like the coating of orchard apples, and delicate, like honeycomb, chewy with beeswax. 

There’s a distinctive, uplifting note of creamy lemon-lime on the mid to late palate, reminiscent of lemon myrtle, as a clear line of minerality builds into the orchestrally long finish. 

A most successful maiden voyage for Interlude NV. 

Interlude NV was manually disgorged in December 2021 and finished with zero dosage. 

Only 1238 bottles were produced.

🥂 Best enjoyed from the Lehmann F. Sommier, Dionysos 66 Ultralight machine-made glass.

🍽 🧀 Enjoy with creamy and savoury cheeses, such as an ashed goat’s cheese or a mild and meaty washed-rind cow’s milk cheese.

Discover elegant gifts, grower champagne and Australia’s most diverse range of Lehmann glassware at SallyHillman.com.au 🔗in bio

We deliver Australia wide

#SallyHillman #CelebratingChampagne 
#champagne #growerchampagne
#champagnegifts #luxuryglassware #champagneglasses #champagneglassware
#wineglass #wine #winelover #winetime #winetasting #winelovers #redwine #whitewine #champagnelover #champagnetasting #instachampagne #champagnemoments @vicpug @domainevincey
🍷Lehmann F. Sommier Ariane 72cl Perfect for li 🍷Lehmann F. Sommier Ariane 72cl

Perfect for light-bodied red wines with floral notes, such as Burgundy, Pinot noir, Gamay and Nebbiolo.

These wines are delicate with ethereal aromas, which means the glass must have a relatively fuller and wider bowl than both ‘Bordeaux’ and ‘standard’ red wine glasses. 

A wider bowl enhances aeration to develop the lighter aromas, allowing them to collect at the gently inward sloping rim. 

The body of the glass should also be relatively shorter than both the ‘Bordeaux’ and ‘standard’ red wine glasses to allow for the detection of more subtle, fragrant aromas due to the nose’s proximity to the wine.

Discover elegant gifts, grower champagne and Australia’s most diverse range of Lehmann glassware at SallyHillman.com.au 🔗in bio

We deliver Australia wide

#SallyHillman #CelebratingChampagne 
#champagne #growerchampagne
#champagnegifts #luxuryglassware #champagneglasses #champagneglassware
#wineglass #wine #winelover #winetime #winetasting #winelovers #redwine #whitewine #champagnelover #champagnetasting #instachampagne #champagnemoments 
#redwineglass #redwinelover #redwine🍷 @lehmannreimsfrance
  sally_hillman

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Menu
  • Champagne
    • Shop All
    • Shop by Brand (House)
    • Shop by Champagne Type
      • Blanc de Blancs (100% white grapes)
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      • Blend
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    • Shop by Region
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      • P. Jamesse
      • F. Sommier
      • A. Lallement
      • G. Basset
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