The region known for White Queen Chardonnay
I have already told in other articles that the Champagne region is divided into macro-regions, and each of them has unique and distinct characteristics. I did an article about Côte des Bar last year, and I ended up not finishing the others. So I'm going to resume this series from here, with this great acquaintance when it comes to Chardonnay: the Côte des Blancs.
The “white coast” doesn’t have that name for nothing. When we say that Champagne has a lot of limestone, the famous chalk, it is in this region that it predominates. The subsoils are white chalk, soft, moist, with a unique capacity to store water for the vine roots to use. And it is right when this root passes from the earth and arrives underground, and goes deeper in search of nutrients, that the characteristics are shown in the grapes, and consequently in the labels we taste.
This soil creates a unique Chardonnay, unlike anywhere else in the world it is planted. It represents 97% of the grapes planted in these villages. Pinot Noir makes up 2% and the remaining 1% is made up of some of the other grape varieties allowed in Champagne. It is clear that the one that best adapts to this terroir is really the white queen.
In addition to being part of the formation of notes in the grape, this subsoil is part of the aging of champagne. Meters and meters below the buildings, the white cellars house the bottles for years... at a temperature that never changes all year round, varying from 10 to 12 degrees, regardless of the temperature up there. When the magic of fermentation and maturation happens.
Côte des Blancs is home to six of Champagne's seventeen Grand Cru villages. I've already talked here about the 'crus' and their classifications and changes over the years, but in short, Grand cru is at the top of the quality classification (although unclassified villages have as much quality, which involves years of history and battles, better summarize now). This classification is based on villages, and the six are Oger, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Chouilly, Oiry and Avize.
Chardonnay in this terroir has a characteristic acidity, citrus notes, fresh, and at the same time deep and long-lasting, thanks to the richness of the pure chalk subsoil. This “chalk” is made up of several fossils from the Cretaceous period, millions of years ago. The water retention points, essential for maintaining the vines' stock, come from these fossils, such as the Belemnite, similar to a squid, and the Micraster, similar to a sea urchin. Fossils from different periods, located in different points on the ground. Natural events that, together, form this magical and powerful underground.
Chardonnay is the grape that tends to sprout the fastest. Its buds appear before other strains, and a great advantage is that when the famous spring frosts arrive, it is already more evolved and does not die as easily as others, which are usually still in a critical budding phase, and are often frozen. and they can't resist.
Champagne suffers annually from these frosts, and in certain years the loss of buds is immense, seriously damaging the production volume. Many tricks are used to avoid damage, such as small fires between the vines, large fans to prevent the ice from clinging to the vines, and even wetting the vines so that the ice transforms this water into an insulation capsule around the shoots.
It is very special to be able to learn about how so many exclusive flavors and aromas of champagnes originate, of course, in addition to the expertise of the winemakers and the precious time of yeast action.
If you have the opportunity to visit Champagne, take time to enjoy the villages around the larger cities. Going to the Côte des Blancs is a good idea. My favorite village is Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. It's charming to get lost in the silent streets, among vineyards and wineries. It is from there that one of the greatest known champagnes comes from, which is found for sale with limitations: Salon.
The winery does not welcome tourists, but you can find the label in some stores in Reims and Épernay. This Maison is one of the examples that masterfully demonstrates the strength and aging potential of Chardonnay. Acidity helps with conservation, and labels like the 1996 that I was able to taste still maintain that acidity and freshness even after so many years in the bottle.
Take advantage of the village for an unpretentious lunch at La Gare, a local restaurant in a disused train station. It's always part of my route there!
Champagne is a whole world in one place. Infinite possibilities, discoveries, curiosities and charms. I'm still here sharing a little bit of every little piece there, for you to travel and toast with me in each edition! Santé!
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