Location and terroir
Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is a Grand Cru wine-growing village in the Champagne, in the hilly Côte des Blancs. The local terroir is predominantly oriented to the south-east and is characterised by chalk and flint. The regional wine-growing climate zone combines oceanic and continental influences, moderate rainfall, sunny summers, the risk of winter frost and occasional summer thunderstorms. At a regional level, the average annual temperature in Champagne is around 11 °C.
Grape varieties and wine style
For the terroir, around 433 hectares of Chardonnay and 1.5 hectares of Pinot Noir are documented. Chardonnay is therefore the dominant grape variety. The calcareous soils store water and also allow drainage; in the Côte des Blancs, chalk outcrops are linked to Chardonnay cultivation. Chardonnay-based Champagnes from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger are described as having high acidity, freshness and chalk-related minerality. The Blanc de Blancs style made from white grapes can also be shaped by acidity, saltiness and mineral notes.
Historical traces
At Les Mournouards, two Neolithic collective burial chambers were discovered in 1958. The second chamber was systematically excavated from 1959; the results were published in 1962. The village also retains traces of earlier defensive walls. The village was damaged by the Franco-German War of 1870 and the two World Wars, or its development was adversely affected.
Houses in the village
Champagne Delamotte gives the year 1760 as the founding of the house in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Champagne Salon produces a Blanc de Blancs from Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger; the first vintage was created in 1905 initially for the founder’s personal use and was made available to a wider circle in the 1920s. Delamotte describes the vinification of its Blanc de Blancs in stainless-steel tanks and a four- to five-year lees ageing period before disgorging.
