The Sub-Regions Of The Champagne Wine Region In France

Located just 150 kilometers east of Paris, Champagne is one of the most recognizable names in the world of fine wine. Unlike other regions that are often made up of multiple appellations, the whole of Champagne is considered as just one single appellation. This means that producers are only required to state Champagne on the label, regardless of where the grapes are sourced from within the region. However, there are five different sub-regions of Champagne, all of which are known for their unique terroir, characteristic, and most importantly, which grapes thrive there. Starting in the north in the city of Reims and the capital of Champagne, we find the aptly named Montagne de Reims. Here you will find the great Notre-Dame de Reims, as well as a number of the major Champagne houses, such as Verve Clicquot, Pomeroy, Ruinart, and Charles Heidsek. This sub-region is comprised of picturesque rolling hills, which conceal a deep bed of chalk, the perfect soil for producing the best sparkling wines in the world. Montagne de Reims also lays claim to an incredible 10 of the 17 Grand Cru villages in all of Champagne, making it arguably the most famous sub-region. Pinot Noir is by far the most predominant grape variety here, producing powerful wines with excellent structure and depth. Just south of Montagne de Reims is the Vallée de la Marne, known primarily for producing Pinot Meurnier. To the east are some of Champagne's best Pinot Noir villages. The only Grand Cru in this sub-region, the village of Ailly, is its crown jewel. So typically here in Ailly, we are going to be in the kind of kingdom of Pinot Noir. That's going to be the main varietal that is grown in the village. And the Pinot Noir is going to play a major role in providing structure, body, flesh, and this kind of voluptuous, generous profile. So it has a lot to do with the texture. Less than five kilometres south of Ailly is the town of Epinay, which marks the start of the Côte de Blanc sub-region. Epinay is one of the biggest attractions in the region, known for its Avenue de Champagne, with Perrier-Jouet, Pol Roger, and not least Moët-Chandon being amongst the residents. As the name suggests, the Côte de Blanc is known for its chalky soils, which produced almost exclusively Chardonnay. If we go a little bit much further south, on the other side of the hill, we are going to enter the kind of kingdom of Chardonnay, the very famous Côte de Blanc. And yet the Chardonnay is going to play quite a different role. It's going to be much tighter on the tension, on the zesty, crispy profile of acidity. It is also home to the remaining six Grand Cru villages of Champagne, which include Cramon and Avise. Further south is the Côte de Cézanne, which is similar to the Côte de Blanc in its soil and primary production of Chardonnay. However, being further south and with a marginally warmer climate, the wines produced here have slightly less acidity and tend to be more aromatic. Finally, we have the Côte de Barre, otherwise known as Aube. Interestingly, this sub-region is somewhat of an outlier from the rest of Champagne and actually sits closer to Chablis, part of the Burgundy region. Aube was once excluded from the Champagne region in the early 20th century, which resulted in protests and almost riots from farmers. However, it was reinstated and fully recognised as one of the five sub-regions in 1927. Although you won't always find the names of these five sub-regions on a Champagne label, they all have their own unique traits and characteristics. It is still possible to find Champagnes produced exclusively from one sub-region or even one particular village, such as Ais. However, in Champagne, more than perhaps any other region in the world, blending plays such a vital factor. Most producers will blend from dozens of different villages across all of the sub-regions to achieve the right balance and unique style in their wines.