Location and landscape
Vitry-en-Perthois is a commune in the Marne department in north-east France and belongs to the Perthois wine-growing area within the Champagne. The vineyards lie on the edge of the Perthois plain on the Côte de Champagne. Small slopes running in parallel with predominantly eastern, southern and south-eastern orientations shape the landscape. The Mont de Fourche is a higher point above the town and overlooks the surrounding Coteaux Vitryats.
Soils and wine-growing
The terroir is made up mainly of chalk from the Middle and Upper Turonian in the Upper Cretaceous. The Middle Turonian subsoil is described as compact, marly grey chalk, while the Upper Turonian includes softer, whiter chalk with less marl. The vineyards are scattered throughout an environment that is predominantly shaped by agriculture. The hillside sites encourage exposure to sunlight in the Perthois.
History and cellar work
Historical records note extensive wine-growing in the 18th century; for 1738, around 600 hectares are mentioned. At the end of the 19th century, wine-growing in the Perthois was severely affected by phylloxera; from 1910, some replanting took place using American rootstocks. Under the rules of Champagne, hand-harvesting, gentle pressing, and a longer bottle fermentation and ageing are required. Champagne Antoine Chevalier vinifies the plots separately and ages the wines without filtration or fining on the lees, initially for around ten months and then for at least 36 months in the bottle.
