Wines and spirits Champagne-Ardenne

Founded in 1930, Champagne Ployez-Jacquemart is an extremely rigorous and demanding family estate. The owners cultivate their vineyards on Premier and Grand Cru terroirs. Abroad, the wines are distributed in no less than 14 countries! The range is rich. Our winning trio: Extra Brut Passion, Extra Brut Vintage 2008 Blanc de Blancs and Liesse d'Harbonville 2000... 5 guest rooms of the highest quality have also been created.

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.

The Cellier Saint-Pierre is a reference in terms of good wines. Located opposite the cathedral, whose square has been redone, the cellar offers a choice of over 500 references. The Champagne region is well represented with great houses as well as harvesters-manipulators from the Aube region, then the offer opens up to other regions, with stronger and international spirits such as a range of Japanese whiskies. But it is not a simple wine shop, since the renovation of the adjacent buildings in noble materials. Superb buildings that also house exhibitions from time to time.

This microbrewery from Sparnacus offers a beautiful range of artisanal beers on lees, neither filtered nor pasteurized. At the top of the list is the permanent range with six creations brewed in Épernay, the classic blonde and amber beers, the refreshing white ginger, the hoppy IPA, the Porter smoked with beech wood and the American Tripel inspired by abbey beers. Add to that seasonal creations such as the Amoureuse mango-passion or the Avanie, sour raspberry and lime, and many others that are sure to be tasted in the taproom: wines, champagnes, rillettes, boards to share and other artisanal local products.

In Coulomnes-la-Montagne, come and discover the winery, presses and cellars of Maison Ponson, "Creators of Champagne for 5 generations". Proud of his heritage, Maxime Ponson now runs the estate, which is run using sustainable viticulture methods. The 13.5-hectare vineyard, spread over 5 Premier Cru villages, is planted on clay-limestone soils, giving its exceptional champagnes a unique character. Our favorite is Cuvée Rosé des Gentes Dames, an exquisite champagne with a delicious candy-pink color!

We sit down around the table to get to know this family business and its vineyard, which is 100% located in Sézanne, i.e. 13 hectares. In the range, let's mention "La cuvée fût de chêne" (oak barrel vintage) with a dominant pinot noir (70%), associated with 30% of chardonnay, a champagne which benefits from four years of ageing (3 years of which 1 year in oak barrel), ideal as an aperitif or with a fricassee of scallops with butter... The visit is free for individuals but it is by appointment only so remember to call before coming to the domain.

Established since 1985 in Villenauxe-la-Grande, Frédéric Torchet has been marketing his vintages since 2000. At his place, the press can be visited, the champagne can be tasted and the profession can be discovered during the visit that he imagined with Élise. Delight for the senses, the tasting of their wines allows to discover the specificities of their favorite soil. Their 2013 vintage, their Blanc de Noirs des Riceys and their Blanc de Blancs offer us a taste of happiness.

The tasting cellar of J.-M. Gobillard et Fils is a convivial place to taste the production of the house. There is no tour of the winery but explanations on the know-how and the champagnes. Only the first pressed wines, or cuvées, are selected by Thierry Gobillard, oenologist. This family business exploits 25 hectares of vines essentially located in the first growth of Hautvillers, and completes with purchases of grapes from local producers.

The Lefèvre family vineyard is located in Oger on the western slopes of Épernay. Didier Lefèvre offers a beautiful range of wines for tasting, starting with his Brut BDB Grand Cru Millésime. An elegant blend of the best white Chardonnay grapes that gives this wine a fruity and very fine taste particularly appreciated with appetizers. The Brut Tradition is a wine of delicate suppleness. With its refined pink hue, the Brut Rosé (84% Chardonnay and 16% Pinot Noir) is a wine with charming curves. We love it!

Winegrowers for 12 generations, Jean-Pierre and Christine Lacourte have taken over the reins of the winery where all the stages of champagne production are carried out. Thanks to their heritage and family know-how, they take particular care in the elaboration of their wines. At their place, the stirring is still done by hand on desks, a guarantee of quality and naturalness. Their range is composed of 9 champagnes: brut, demi-sec, rosé and the cuvée Pierre et Henri, a 100% chardonnay, a tribute to the founders of the house.

We like the warm welcome, the old press and the beautiful vaulted cellars that we find here. Unavoidable, the Horiot champagne deserves a visit for its cuvées: the special Cuvée Jean-Baptiste, a blend of mostly chardonnay and pinot noir, with its beautiful golden yellow color; its Champagne Brut Rosé, elaborated by maceration in wooden vats, with a dark color compared to a blended rosé (white+red mixed), a pretty raspberry color.

Pascal, Pierre and Aurélien Gerbais manage 14 hectares of vineyards, mainly planted with pinot noir and chardonnay, but also with meunier and a "forgotten" grape variety: pinot blanc vrai. The vines produce a fine range of Champagnes, all of which are made here in the family press: Réserve, Rosé, L'Audace, Rosé de Saignée, Coteaux Champenois Rouge, Prestige and the jewel in the crown, "l'Originale", a 100% pinot blanc Champagne, an extremely rare and astonishing wine to pack in your suitcases and impress your guests!

We arrive here in a very beautiful stone house with a square tower and vaulted cellars dating from the 17th century. It is Vincent Bartnicky who will make you discover his House and his wines. At his place, the bottles are still stirred by hand, an operation that precedes the disgorging phase. You will find 100% pinot noir champagnes or pinot/chardonnay blends. We especially like the cuvée Elegarose and the cuvée Fût de chêne, original and convivial wines.

Founded in 1862, this 7-hectare family estate has passionately cultivated a love of its terroir for several generations. Atypical and committed, Anne-Laure Beerens, the current owner, is part of this promising young generation of winemakers. Accompanied on a daily basis by Olivier Desfosse and Marie-Eve Beerens, the trio has developed a know-how of excellence to produce wines of the highest quality. Terra Vitis certified, the house cultivates 5 grape varieties, including pinot blanc and pinot gris, and offers 6 chiselled, multi-medaled cuvées.

La Belle Gabrielle is the store where the wines produced by the cooperative uniting about a hundred wine growers of the Essoyes region are sold under the name "Champagne Charles Collin", named after one of the founders. "La Belle Gabrielle" is not only the name of the establishment, but also that of one of the vintages of Charles Collin, which you can buy in this store located near the Espace Renoir. Other vintages will also delight you among the traditional vintages, the Prestige vintages and the vintage champagnes.

The Caveau des Riceys is a warm place that allows tourists or locals to take a break and discover the three AOCs of the town as well as the products made in Aube. To enhance the tastings, you can eat planks of local delicatessen and cheeses, and if you feel like it, invest in nice spittoons and embark on the adventure of oenologists. Themed evenings, oenological or otherwise, are very popular, but require registration. The tables on the terrace are a good place to rest in the middle of a stroll through the vineyards.

You can taste, order, take away!

Michel Rocourt runs a 6-hectare Chardonnay vineyard exclusively in the Mesnil-sur-Oger and Vertus areas. A tour of the winery provides a wealth of information on traditional winemaking techniques, the contemporary cellar, the stainless steel vats and the pneumatic press. Visitors then have the chance to taste wines from the range. Special mention should be made of the "Grand Vintage", a beautifully mature wine. Don't hesitate to visit during the harvest, a magical time to get a behind-the-scenes look at the winemaking process!