Champagne Chartogne-Taillet
Merfy, Montagne de Reims, Champagne, France
Alexandre Chartogne
There are few producers in all of Champagne who could make a better case for terroir-driven wines than Alexandre Chartogne. A visit with him at his family estate offers a deep dive into both the largely overlooked history and geological diversity of his hometown of Merfy, just a fifteen-minute drive from Reims in the Massif de Saint-Thierry, where his family has tended vines for centuries.
Since taking over his family's estate in 2006, Alexandre is constantly evolving, observing and questioning how to best express his individual parcels. Convinced that it is indeed the soils and subsoils, alive and preserved, which forge the identity of wine, in Champagne as much as in neighboring Burgundy, he has dug deep into historical maps and documents from his family archive, spent countless hours carefully analyzing soils of each plot to better guide his work and has never been afraid of experimentation in his cellar.
This inquisitive and passionate approach over the past ten years, has made him one of the superstars in Champagne today. The resulting wines have energy, character and longevity with a delicate touch and finesse that highlights both an underlying salinity and the personality of each of his terroirs. We are honored to play a part in the preservation of something so special.
-
Chartogne-Taillet remains the only récoltant-manipulant producer in the village. After a formative experience working under Ansleme Selosse, Alexandre Chartogne returned to his family estate in 2006, at the age of 23. placing an increased emphasis on single-vineyard champagnes with his inaugural effort - 2006 Les Barres, a particular parcel of ungrafted Meunier, planted in 1952. The soil in this parcel is sand for almost 3 meters before the roots reach the chalk bedrock, allowing the vines “to live in two environments”.
Following his parent’s retirement in 2007, Alexandre took control of the entire domaine, experimenting with a kaleidoscope of different vessels for fermentation and elevage, including amphorae and concrete eggs.
Today, he produces wines from 13 different parcels: Les Barres, Beaux Sens, Le Couarres, Couarres Château, Heurtebise, Orizeaux, Les Alliées and Chemin de Reims in Merfy and three small Chardonnay parcels in Oger & Avize in the Côte de Blancs. In each parcel a different variety planted, for Alex it’s the soil and terroir that is central to each cuvée’s expression, not the grape variety.
-
Merfy is a 15 minute drive north of Reims, and its vineyards lie on the southern slopes of the Massif de Saint-Thierry in the Petite Montagne de Reims. These slopes were planted shortly after the arrival of the Romans and monks of the neighboring Abbey of Saint-Thierry expanded the vineyards in the 7th century.
The vineyards of Merfy lie on deep soils composed of various sands and clays over chalk, it’s been Alexandre’s mission to rediscover the identity of his family’s parcels, understand the terroir where they exist and pass this on to his son, the future generation.
-
Utmost focus on the health of the individual soils of each plot. Chickens and sheep roam freely in the vines to control pests, and manage weed control. Grass is partially allowed to grow, ploughing is done by horse (50% of the surface) or light tractor to avoid soil compaction, no herbicides or pesticides, bouillie bordelaise against oidium/mildew but no certification although organic farming has been practiced since 2002.
-
Wines are pressed in a 4,000kg pneumatic press. Native fermentation, followed by a second fermentation, selected from yeasts from inside his vineyards. In the cellar, each parcel is vinified separately. Fermentation is done mostly in wood: 228 liter barrels with some 600 liter French oak depending on individual cuvée. Normally base wines are aged for 9 months before assemblage and tasting.
Wines
'Cuvée Ste. Anne' Brut
Ste. Anne is a village wine, which strives to be a lesson on how the different terroir expressions of Merfy can work together. Generally 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 5% Pinot Meunier from vines around 35 years old grown on sandstone, clay and chalk. Dosage: 2.75g/L.
'Le Rosé' Brut
Le Rosé is a blended Champagne composed of Chardonnay, and red varieties (mostly Pinot Noir). The blended red wine comes from one of two plots recognised for the quality of their red-wine grapes. In certain years, from the Orizeaux plot, and since 2017, from the Les Fontaines plot in Saint Thierry. Aged in mix 228L and 350L barrels. Dosage: Between 5-6g/L.
'Heurtebise' Blanc de Blancs
Mostly Chardonnay with a bit of Arbanne from single plot “Les Heurtes Bises.” Located on a windy plateau in Merfy, anchored on Thanetian sandstone mixed with clay and limestone, which is less permeable than the neighboring chalk or tuffeau. This impacts the vines, which must adapt to excess water or dryness. Vinification: Aged in 228L barrels from 9-18 months. The aging has greater influence on this parcel than for other wines from neighboring plots. Dosage: 4g/L.
'Les Couarres' Extra Brut
Blend of Pinot Noir (65%) and Chardonnay(35%) planted between 1970-2009 in the heart of Merfy on a gentle south-facing slope where Alexandre owns two parcels – one on tuffeau (soft, fine-grained, mica-rich limestone also found in the Loire) and another one on deep clay soil. Particularly sensitive to oxidation, Alexandre takes great care in protecting these wines by using 2-3yo barrels which he places in the coolest part of the cave and tops up regularly. Dosage:5g/L
'Chemin de Reims' Extra Brut
100% Chardonnay. Single-vineyard with south/southeast exposure. Vines planted in 1980, 1995 and 2011 on iron-rich soils. Sandstone is underlying soil type in this vineyard. Vinification: Aged in 350 and 600L barrels with regular top-ups to promote reduction and preserve the originality of this plot. Dosage: 3g/L.
'Orizeaux' Extra Brut
100% Pinot Noir planted in 1970 with both a north and south exposures just above Alexandre's parcel of Les Barres. The parcel has always been highly prized by the Chartogne family as the wine reflects both the warmth of the Thanetian sandy soil and the mineral quality of the limestone bedrock. Vinification: Aged in 3-6 year old barrels. Dosage 3g/L.
'Les Barres' Extra Brut
From three parcels over 4.77 ha including Pinot Meunier planted in 1970, Pinot Noir planted in 1987 and Chardonnay planted in 2000 with a south/southeast vine exposure. Vinification: Aged in 228L barrels with an elevated oxygen exchange. This promotes the wine's mineralisation, which slowly makes the varietal aromas disappear in favour of saltiness (the stable fraction of the wine). No topping-up is done from fermentation until March (approximately), in order to promote this mineralisation. Under its veil, the wine protects itself from the oxygen, thus revealing the salty charm of the chalky soils. Dosage: 3g/L.
'Hors Série' Extra Brut
100% Chardonnay sourced from two small plots in the Côte des Blancs grand crus villages of Avize and Oger. This cuvée marks the first time Alex moves outside his family terroirs of Merfy to experiment in chalky soils of the Côtes des Blancs.Vines planted between 1927 -1986 on chalky soil with very high porosity. Vinification: Long native fermentation, rarely finishes in less than two months after harves. Aged in old barrels for about 9 months before bottling and aged on slats for around 40 months.