Key Grapes
| Variety | % |
|---|---|
| Pinot Noir | 38% |
| Meunier | 32% |
| Chardonnay | 30% |
Grape Notes
Pinot Noir: Least acidity; red fruits; limestone-rich marls
Meunier: Softens blends; rye bread notes; sands/clays/marls
Chardonnay: High acidity + alcohol; apple/citrus; chalk soils
Secondary (<0.3%)
Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Arbane, Petit Meslier
Sub-Regions & Terroirs (17 Terroirs in 4 Sub-Regions)
| Sub-Region | Terroir | Soils | Grape Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montagne de Reims (9 Grand Crus) | Grande Montagne | Limestone marl + chalk | Pinot Noir; GC/PC villages |
| Massif de Saint-Thierry | Sand, clay, marl | 85% Meunier; most northerly | |
| Val de Reims | Sand, clay, marl | Meunier | |
| Monts de Berru | Chalk | >90% Chardonnay | |
| Vallée de la Marne (2 Grand Crus: Aÿ, Tours-sur-Marne) | Grande Vallée | Sands, clays, marls + chalk | Pinot Noir; GC/PC villages |
| Rive Gauche/Droite/Ouest | Sand, marl, clay | Largely Meunier | |
| Condé | Limestone uplift | Meunier dominates | |
| Côteaux Sud d'Épernay | Mixed | 50/50 Meunier + Chardonnay | |
| Côte des Blancs (6 Grand Crus) | Côte des Blancs | Chalk | 97% Chardonnay; most famous |
| Val du Petit Morin | Chalk, sand, marl, clay | Chardonnay + Meunier | |
| Côte de Sézanne | Chalk | Chardonnay | |
| Vitryat (Vitry-le-François) | Chalk | Chardonnay | |
| Montgueux | Isolated chalk hill | Chardonnay (in Aube) | |
| Côte des Bar (Aube) (No Grand Crus) | Bar-sur-Aubois | Kimmeridgean marl | 85% Pinot Noir; same soils as Chablis |
| Barséquanais | Kimmeridgean marl |
Les Riceys (Barséquanais) = home of Rosé des Riceys AOC | Kimmeridgean Ring connects Côte des Bar to Chablis, Sancerre, and parts of England
Soils & Chalk
| Type | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Belemnite Chalk | Squid fossils; upper/mid-slope (preferred) |
| Micraster Chalk | Sea urchin fossils; lower slopes |
| Kimmeridgean Marl | Jurassic oyster fossils (Exogyra virgula) |
Crayères: Ancient chalk quarries; now cellars at 50°F/10°C
Chalk stores water: 60–80 gal (300–400L) per m³
The 3 AOCs
| AOC | Year | Style | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champagne | 1936 | Sparkling white + rosé | ~300M bottles/year; all 7 grapes authorized |
| Coteaux Champenois | 1974 | Still white, rosé, red | ~120,000 bottles/year; climate warming helps reds |
| Rosé des Riceys | 1947 | Still rosé | 100% Pinot Noir; Les Riceys (Aube) only; ~60,000 bottles |
Échelle des Crus (1911)
| Grand Cru | 100% rating — 17 villages |
| Premier Cru | 90–99% rating — 42 villages |
| Other villages | 80–89% rating |
| Pricing use | Ended 2003 (individual contracts) |
Winemaking Terms
Sur lattes: "On the slats" — selling finished wine to relabel
Tirage: Bottling with yeast + sugar for 2nd ferment
Remuage: Riddling (Veuve Clicquot invention)
Dégorgement: Removing lees after riddling
Aging Requirements
| Type | Lees | Total Cellar |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Vintage | 12 mo min | 15 mo from tirage |
| Vintage | 12 mo min | 3 years from tirage |
NV Brut = 78.5% of champagne exports (2019)
Training Methods (4)
Chablis / Cordon: Required for GC + PC
Guyot: Permitted elsewhere
Vallée de la Marne: Meunier ONLY
Dosage Levels
| Style | Sugar g/L |
|---|---|
| Brut Nature / Zero | 0–3 |
| Extra Brut | 0–6 |
| Brut | 0–12 |
| Extra Dry / Sec | 12–17 |
| Sec | 17–32 |
| Demi-Sec | 32–50 |
| Doux | >50 |
Madame Pommery initiated dry champagne trend
Champagne Styles
| Blanc de Blancs | White grapes only (Chardonnay) |
| Blanc de Noirs | Black grapes only (PN, Meunier) |
| Rosé | Can blend red + white (EU exception) |
| Prestige Cuvée | Cristal, Dom Pérignon, La Grande Dame |
Special Bottlings
Mono-parcelle: Single vineyard (Clos des Goisses, 1935)
Mono-cru: Single village (Salon "S", 1921)
Spécial Club: Club Trésors; peer-reviewed
17 Grand Cru Villages
Côte des Blancs (6)
Avize • Chouilly • Cramant • Le Mesnil-sur-Oger • Oger • Oiry
Montagne de Reims (9)
Ambonnay • Beaumont-sur-Vesle • Bouzy • Louvois • Mailly-Champagne • Puisieulx • Sillery • Verzenay • Verzy
Vallée de la Marne (2)
Aÿ • Tours-sur-Marne
Label Codes
NM: Négociant-Manipulant (houses) | RM: Récoltant-Manipulant (grower)
RC: Récoltant-Coopérateur | CM: Co-op | MA: Private label
History Timeline
| 496 CE | Clovis baptized in Reims |
| 1695–98 | First intentional sparkling champagne |
| 1728 | King allows bottle transport |
| 1729 | Ruinart = first champagne house |
| 1857 | Pasteur discovers yeast action |
| 1890 | Phylloxera (→ 1/5 former size) |
| 1908 | Aube excluded; riots |
| 1911 | Échelle des Crus established |
| 1927 | Aube finally included |
| 2003 | Échelle no longer for pricing |
Top Exam Points — Memorize These!
Most northerly French wine region48°–49.5° N; 1,680 sunshine hrs; 60–80 frost days/year
Largest AOC by value€5B/year; ~300M bottles; more co-ops than any other region
17 Grand Cru villages (100%)6 Côte des Blancs + 9 Montagne de Reims + 2 Vallée de la Marne
Grapes: PN 38%, Meunier 32%, Chard 30%Côte des Blancs = 97% Chardonnay; Côte des Bar = 85% Pinot Noir
Ruinart (1729) = first houseFirst sparkling champagne: 1695–1698; 27 kings crowned in Reims
Crayères = chalk quarriesAncient cellars; 50°F/10°C; Belemnite chalk preferred (upper slopes)
NM = houses; RM = grower-producers300+ houses buy grapes; 15,000+ growers; "house style" tradition
Rosé champagne = EU exceptionCan legally blend red + white wine; 8–20% PN typically added