Coteaux Champenois

January 15, 2021|Bhatia Dheeraj.

Champagne’s Coteaux Champenois appellation is unique. Historically, Champagne was making still wine and, eventually by weather, an accident, or innovation, created a saga.

As winner of the Ruinart Sommeliers Challenge and scholar at the University of Reims, I always wanted to visit Gosset, the first house known for producing still wine, during my visits. I didn’t quite make it, but curiosity for Champagne’s lesser-known wine has evolved into a pursuit of mine over time.

In Reims, during the 16th century, still wines from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne were often compared with those from the King’s own vineyards in Aÿ. During this time Aÿ’s fame was at its peak and considered "the ordinary drink of Kings and Princes.” According to Henry Vizetelly in his A History of Champagne, so coveted was wine from Champagne that nobility would go to the expense of having their own buying commissioners stationed in the village to secure the finest vintages of royal wine. From Aÿ, around this time, the foundation of Champagne’s oldest surviving house can be traced. In 1531, Jean Gosset was Lord of Aÿ and his son, Claude Gosset, was a vigneron (grape grower). No documentation exists to confirm nor deny if Claude Gosset actually traded his wines. Nonetheless, evidence suggests that his successor, Pierre Gosset, did so in 1584. In those days, wines from Aÿ were rivalled only by those from Burgundy. More than four centuries later, the house prevails as one of the most admired for their champagnes of crystalline quality and impressive depth.

The myth that the Benedictine monks of Saint Hilaire, in Limoux, deliberately produced a sparkling wine by a continuation of the first fermentation - or by accident – is better left for next time. Notwithstanding this, it was the English that transferred champagne from cask to strong glass, making them the first to drink Champagne’s effervescence in the late 17th Century. Not long after, sparkling wines from Champagne became very fashionable, and began to take over from the production of still wines.

As a sommelier I adore Champagne’s effervescent wines, but my love for their rarer and intriguing still and sweet wines holds my interest like no other.

Still wines of Champagne fall under the Coteaux Champenois AOC, first created in 1974. Originally identified as Vins Natures de la Champagne, rules governing production of Coteaux Champenois indicate that it can be made anywhere in the greater Champagne AOC (within the 635 communes) to produce white, rosé or red wines from every permitted variety - chardonnay, pinot noir, meunier, pinot blanc, pinot gris, petit meslier and arbane. Understandably, the best of the best come from grand and premier cru terroir, namely Bouzy, Aÿ, Sillery, Cumières, Vertus, Chouilly and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.

Olivier Horiot from Les Riceys, one of Champagne’s most passionate and emblematic ambassadors for still wine production, crafts some of the best white and rosé still wines I’ve tried, as well as rich and textural sparkling wines. Over a long phone conversation, in researching this article, we discussed history, challenges and current trends. While Coteaux Champenois is focused on still reds and some whites mainly from Le Mesnil and Chouilly, Rosé des Riceys, another appellation, is one of the best still rosé producing areas. In France there are only two appellations that are dedicated to rosé winemaking: Tavel AOC in the Rhône Valley and Rosé des Riceys in Champagne. Rosé des Riceys is an unusual, non-sparkling pink wine, produced within just a few miles of Burgundy, and is officially part of the Champagne region.

Rosé des Riceys wine comes from a tiny place called Les Riceys – a municipality made-up of three close-knit villages named Riceys-Haut, Riceys Haute-Rive and Riceys-Bas. Wine has been produced in this region since the 12th Century, made by the Cistercian monks living at the nearby Abbey of Molesme. Monks selected south-facing slopes ideal for growing grapes tolerant enough of Champagne’s extreme cool climate. The sites offered enough sun and warmth to ripen pinot noir to the point where it could be fashioned into a perfumed, brightly coloured rosé.

Les Riceys, once upon a time, was highly rated and had been part of many conflicts due to its proximity to Burgundy. Geographically speaking, Les Riceys is located in the southern part of the Aube department and borders Burgundy. The essence of its wine is, arguably, more Burgundian than Champenois.

In the 18th century, production of Les Riceys doubled, with white, rosé and red wine. By 1860, its wines had gained recognition at the Paris exposition, competing with Reims and the Vallée de la Marne. Les Ricey was lauded for its diversified beauty, especially when compared with other zones that were solely focused on sparkling wine production.

Today, Rosé des Riceys AOC lays claim to 350 approved hectares to which only 100 hectares are planted. Only pinot noir is allowed. If it doesn’t reach required levels of ripeness, then grapes go into champagne production. Some of the best parcels are known as ‘contrées’ (like climat or lieux-dits in Burgundy). The wine itself presents uniquely pale pink in colour, often referred to as ‘Oeil de Perdrix’ (eye of a partridge), and terroir is a big contributor to its profile, with limestone, clay and marl.

Another lesser-known style of wine that fascinates is ratafia, a sweet fortified wine made from Champagne grapes. My first taste was in 2012 with Jocelyn Yot, owner of Champagne Asia. The ratafia from Champagne Vilmart took my breath away, and I knew immediately that it had a place on my wine pairing menus. Ratafia de Champagne was produced at the same time as still wines and grape growers began to fortify their grape juice to preserve its fruitiness. After sparkling wine took over production of wine from the region, most growers stopped making this deeply golden and sweet liquid. It can be enjoyed as an aperitif or with fruit-based desserts, which is my preference.

Ratafia enjoys an 800-year history of production, but only received its first PGI (protected geographical indication) on August 27, 2015. The new PGI was possible when a group representing distillers, wine growers and wine producers created an organisation known as the Association of Producers of Spirits of the Champagne Geographical Indication. The group’s goals included obtaining PGI status for Marc de Champagne (similar to Grappa production) and Ratafia de Champagne.

Regulations for Ratafia de Champagne PGI specify that it must be produced using the three main grape varieties permissible in Champagne – pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay. Juice that will be fortified and made into ratafia is pressed after the juice required for the area’s famous sparkling wine (but during the first part of the final press called rebèche). It is then fortified with grape-based brandy from the region, which is also produced from the rebèche juice.

There are many Coteaux Champenois now available in Australia. I’ve been fortunate enough to taste my share of particularly good ones in my time working at Penfolds Magill Estate (Adelaide) and Est. for the Merivale Group (Sydney). My favourites are made by Oliver Horiot, Robert Moncuit, Egly-Ouriet, Larmandier-Bernier and Jacques Lassaigne, and certainly ones I frequently compile on wine lists and recommend to customers.