Location and landscape
Passy-Grigny is the commune 51425 in the Marne department of the Champagne region Champagne and belongs to the arrondissement of Épernay. It lies on the border with the Aisne department, in the Tardenois landscape and in the wine-growing area of the Marne Valley.
Valleys, slopes and soils
The Semoigne, as well as the streams Champvoisy and Brandouille, shape the area of the commune. The Semoigne flows through Passy-Grigny to the Marne. Agricultural and forestry-influenced plateaus reach about 217 metres at Bel-Air and about 189 metres at Saule Tilleux; between valleys and plateaus there are in places differences in elevation of around 100 metres. On the slopes, limestone, marl and sand occur, while the valleys contain colluvial and fluvio-marine deposits.
Winegrowing in Passy-Grigny
The terrain favoured the establishment of vineyards on the slopes. Champagne Laurent Lequart cultivates 11.40 hectares in Passy-Grigny and grows Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Pinot Meunier is the estate’s most important grape variety; according to the estate, it lends the cuvées roundness, elegance and fruitiness.
Co-operative and Champagne AOC
The co-operative Dom Caudron traces its origins back to Passy-Grigny. There, Abbé Aimé Caudron proposed in 1929 a winegrowers’ co-operative, to which initially 23 winegrowers joined. According to the co-operative, the initial vineyard holdings of 12 hectares grew to more than 130 hectares. Passy-Grigny belongs to the geographical area of the AOC Champagne. For the wines of Champagne Laurent Lequart, the estate states that processing is carried out by the co-operative in Passy-Grigny, with a modern pressing facility, temperature-controlled tanks, controlled vinification and oak barrels.
