Champagne's Communes: From Grand Cru to Premier Cru
Champagne, France - The vineyards of Champagne cover an impressive 34,000 hectares, primarily located in the departments of Aisne, Aube, and Marne. This vast area also includes smaller regions in Haute-Marne and Seine-et-Marne. While the region is famous for its sparkling wines, two smaller appellations, Coteaux Champenois and Rosé des Riceys, produce non-sparkling still and renowned rosé wines, respectively.
Champagne's approved main varieties are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay, which occupy a staggering 99% of the vineyards, with Pinot Noir making up 38%, Pinot Meunier 33%, and Chardonnay 28%. However, for historical reasons, four other varieties - Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc - are permitted. But, with only 90 hectares of vineyards, they have little significance in quantity.
Champagne's rich vineyards have been carefully cultivated over centuries, producing some of the world's most renowned sparkling wines. However, the region's smaller appellations and permitted varieties showcase the versatility and diversity of the Champagne region's wine offerings.
Champagne, France - The world-renowned Champagne region of France boasts a classification system that divides its communes into three classes based on factors such as soil composition, location, climate, and grape varieties. The Échelle des crus classification scheme was first introduced in 1920 and continues to be used today.
The classification system applies to the entire municipality, including all vineyards, with some distinctions between red and white grape varieties. In total, there are 320 AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) communes, of which 261 are considered straightforward "sans cru" (80-89%).
There are two classifications of excellence in the Champagne region: "Grand Cru" and "Premier Cru."
When a bottle is marked "Grand Cru," it indicates that all the grapes used to make the wine were sourced from the highest-quality villages. The grapes must originate from villages as high-quality as Grand Cru communities but not quite on the same level.
On a scale of 0 to 100%, each village in the Champagne area is rated, with Grand Cru villages receiving a rating of 100%, Premier Cru villages receiving a rating between 90 and 99%, and Autre Cru villages receiving a rating between 80 and 89%. No town in the area has a ranking lower than 80%.
At the top of the classification system are the 17 Grand Cru communes, which boast the finest sites in the world, covering 4,400 hectares of vines.
These include the Montagne de Reims region, with communes such as Ambonnay, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Bouzy, Louvois, Mailly-Champagne, Puisieulx, Sillery, Tours-sur-Marne, Verzenay, and Verzy.
Bouzy is a special place in the Champagne region of France known for its high-quality vineyards covering 360 hectares. Most grapes grown here are Pinot Noir, while the rest are Chardonnay. Bouzy is one of the top areas for growing Pinot Noir, along with Aÿ. The champagnes produced in Bouzy are famous for their ability to age well over time. Bouzy is also known for producing the best red still wine in the Champagne region, Coteaux Champenois. The famous champagne houses Bollinger and Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin both own vineyards in Bouzy.
The Vallée de la Marne region is represented by the commune of Aÿ. In contrast, the Côte des Blancs region boasts the communes of Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, and Oiry.
The Premier Cru communes, 42 cover 6,000 hectares of planted grapes and fall within the 90-99% classification range. The classification system considers a range of factors, including the quality of the terroir, or soil, as well as the climate and location of the vineyard. This system ensures that every bottle of Champagne is produced using the highest quality grapes, reflecting the unique characteristics of the region's various communes.
