Grapes

The type of vines the Champagne is an effervescent wine built around three type of bunches, a white "Chardonnay" and two blacks "pinot noir" and the "pinot meunier".
 

The Chardonnay 

It is the only white type of vine of Champagne. It accounts for approximately 26% of thetotality of the collected grapes. Some Champagne areas cultivate it exclusiveness (area of the “Blancs de Blancs”, Vertu, Avize, Oger...). the bunches are of average size. The film is thick. It is a type of vine sensitive to the odium, the mildew and the grey rot, especially if it is married with certain under stocks (down part of vine in the earth, resistant to will phylloxera). Its contribution in the assemblies (action to mix the various wines and the various years before the setting in of bottle) gives more smoothness and of lightness like certain flavours (peach, yellow fruits, grapefruit,...) with the proviso of controlling the productivity of this type of vine well tending required many grapes and taking herbaceous and acid green lemon notes then.

Pinot Noir

It is the same type of vine as for the red Burgundies. Its characteristics are well-known. It is planted everywhere in the world. It gives large bunches of black grape. Its large outputs get problems of maturity to him. When this maturity is optimal, it brings to the Champagne wine of winosity, the fruit (raspberry, currant, cutter...) and of the structure. It accounts for 36% of total Champagne harvest. Certain areas only cultivate it. It is then the "Blancs de noirs" (Ambonnay, Bouzy...).
 

Pinot Meunier  

It is named thus because its young sheets seem powdered with flour at the time of their growth. It is a cousin of Pinot Noir (undoubtedly a type of vine which would have adapted to the Champagne climatic conditions). It accounts for 38% of the grapes of Champagne. Its bunches are smaller and denser. The outputs with the hectare are often quite less than its two fellow-members Champagne. Its maturity in normal year is often optimal according to under stocks' chosen, which brings to the vintages much of fruity (exotic fruits, citrus fruits, cutter...) and of freshness. Some houses vintage it out of pure type of vine (Valley of the Marne), but in great majority it is associated both others for a greater balance and a greater aromatic complexity (great vintages). Its presence in our area of the MASSIF DE ST THIERRY is largely majority, within our exploitation. It accounts for 62% of our type of vines, black Pinot 15% and Chardonnay 23%.