Location and formation
Blancs-Coteaux is a municipality in the Marne department in the Champagne region Champagne. The administrative seat is Vertus. The municipality was formed on 1 January 2018 through the merger of Gionges, Oger, Vertus and Voipreux, which since then have existed as delegated municipalities.
Landscape and climate
The municipal territory covers more than 6,500 hectares and lies south of the Côte des Blancs in the area of the Champagne appellation. The forest is located in the natural landscape of Brie Champenoise at the eastern edge of the Île-de-France cuesta and overlooks parts of the vineyards of the Côte des Blancs. The landscape is characterised by cuesta slopes with a limestone or chalk subsoil, as well as by marly, sandy and colluvial soils. The climate combines oceanic influences with regular rainfall and small seasonal temperature fluctuations, along with continental influences such as the risk of frost and favourable summer sunlight exposure.
Champagne appellation
Within today’s municipal territory, different Cru classifications apply to the former winegrowing municipalities: Oger is listed as Grand Cru, while Vertus and Voipreux are Premier Cru. For suitable parcels, the permitted grape varieties of the Champagne appellation may be used, including Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Meunier. The appellation was first recognised by decree on 29 June 1936; Blancs-Coteaux has existed as a municipality since 2018.
Wine style and production
The Champagne appellation is reserved for white or rosé sparkling wines, whose defining characteristic is the perlage. The grapes are pressed directly and without maceration time in the press or the saignée process. Gentle, step-by-step pressing of whole grapes is required, as is separate vinification of the must components Cuvée and Taille. In the vineyards, the rows of vines may be at most two metres apart; within a row, the distance between the vines is 0.70 to 1.50 metres, with specified exceptions for steep parcels.
