Wines and spirits Rilly-La-Montagne

The "prise de mousse" is the stage when the still wine turns into sparkling wine, but it's also how you'll feel when you enter this little jewel in the heart of Rilly-la-Montagne. Prise de Mousse showcases the champagnes of La Montagne de Reims winemakers, accompanied by tapas and platters of foie gras, Reims ham, burrata, carpaccio, spreads... to complete the tasting experience. On the table, you'll enjoy comfort food, from roast camembert with honey and thyme to croque and gratin dauphinois with truffles, not forgetting the gourmet desserts. And on Sundays, it's all-you-can-eat brunch with a glass of champagne.

It is around one of the oldest wine-producing villages in Champagne, in Rilly-la-Montagne, that Couvreur Philippart grows its 7.5 hectares of vines, mainly pinot noir. It is this variety, blended with miller and chardonnay, which is used to make the Grande Réserve Brut. The mouth is ample, vinous and evokes notes of cooked fruits. Another nice cuvée to taste is the Cuvée Rosé. This wine, with a subtle nose of red fruits, reveals a fleshy and expressive mouth. Magic on a strawberry pie!

Lam and Philippe Paques run a 12 ha vineyard, classified as Premier Cru in Rilly-la-Montagne. A short visit will allow you to discover the press, the vat room and the vaulted cellars. Here, the riddling is still done manually!

We have a particular fondness for the Cuvées Carte Rouge (50% pinot noir and 50% chardonnay) and Carte d'Or, a fruity and supple brut without year. A nod to the Cuvée Origine, an exceptional vintage cuvée from the finest vines. This head of the cuvée, composed mainly of chardonnay, is aged on lees in oak barrels for 6 months.

If you pass one day by Rilly-la-Montagne, do not hesitate to stop to discover this House built in 1930 by Marcel Lassalle. Today it is Eric Lassalle who proudly carries on the family values. On the vineyard side, the vines flourish on 7.5 hectares spread over 3 exceptional terroirs classified as Premier Cru: Chigny-les-Roses, Rilly-la-Montagne and Ludes. Their 5 cuvées are balanced wines with rich and complex aromas.

Founded in the 19th century by a family of wine merchants, the Domaine today owns a beautiful vineyard of 15 hectares spread over 4 renowned crus. This vineyard is worked with natural and environmentally friendly practices in order to create healthy and natural wines that will age in the cellar for at least 4 years for the classic vintages and 9 years for the Millésimes. The traditional grape varieties of meunier (40%), chardonnay (40%) and pinot noir (20%) offer greedy, fruity and floral champagnes with a good balance of alcohol and acidity.

For 4 generations, Maurice Lepitre champagne has been characterized by chalk cellars and manual riddling. The 3 years of ageing give each Cuvée its singular character. After the visit of the place, it's time for the tasting. We love the Brut Extra Reserve which exhales aromas of white flowers. In the mouth, it is generous and greedy. You will also succumb to the 2008 vintage, a Premier Cru that reveals a floral nose and white fruit aromas.

Located a few kilometers from Reims, Hubert and Béatrice Fagot's estate extends over ten hectares of vineyards scattered throughout the town. The house favors sustainable farming practices in order to produce quality champagnes. Two ranges are offered, Joseph and Hubert Fagot as well as ratafia, old marc and old fine de Marne. It is also possible to book their three pretty rooms decorated with care.

Daniel Delaunois perpetuates the family tradition initiated by his great grandfather in the 1920s. Today he is an independent winemaker, and his work and love of wine, inspired by his ancestors, has already enabled him to win some fine medals for his wines, in particular the famous "Royale Blanc de Noirs", the Domaine's signature cuvee. The brand also offers a collection of "Prestige" and "Haute Couture" champagnes. Their cellars dug on two levels are to be seen!

The Vilmart brand was born in 1890 under the impulse of Désiré Vilmart, who at the time owned only 2 ha of vines. Laurent Champs, grandson of the creator, has now the honor to continue the family tradition. He elaborates the vintages and takes care of the 11 ha of vines that the vineyard counts today, planted with 60% of chardonnay and 40% of pinot noir. The average age of the vines is 30 years, which gives the wines of the range a certain aromatic complexity, the signature of the House. The cuvée Grande Réserve is a rather full-bodied wine, ideal as an aperitif.

The François Fagot vineyard is located in one of the best first growths of the Montagne de Reims, and is now run by the family's son, Thierry. This small estate of about 5 hectares, half of which is planted with pinot noir, produces beautiful wines with a powerful character. The Brut Premier Cru is the signature of the house, a blend of three grape varieties, very well balanced, supple and surprisingly complex. The Brut Millésimée 2005 is also a top-of-the-range wine, predominantly pinot noir, which fully expresses the terroir of Rilly-la-Montagne.

Brother and sister, Clotilde and Nicolas Chauvet have joined their efforts and their common passion to manage the family estate located on two fabulous terroirs: Rilly-la-Montagne (premier cru) and Mont-Saint-Pierre. Each year, the duo produces beautiful wines such as the Cuvée Brut Tradition, made from a blend of equal parts of the three Champagne grape varieties, and a blend of the year's harvest and reserve wines (30%); and the Cuvée Brut Sélection. Fabulous as an aperitif or with grilled white fish!