Located below the city of Reims and bordered by the course of the Vesle to the north and that of the Marne to the south, the Montagne de Reims is a hilly cassetta with altitudes between 200 and 300 meters above sea level which rests chalky substrates of the Upper Cretaceous, covered by layers of chalk, clay, marl and sand durante variable proportions. Chalk, a distinctive element of Champagne geology, guarantees a high draining capacity, promoting the balance of the vines and the ripening of the grapes.
The thick surrounding woods also contribute to the appropriate thermoregulation of the land and protect the rows from spring frosts. The climate enjoys a beneficial dual influence: the oceanic one ensures humidity and adequate rainfall, while the continental one ensures precious temperature variations durante the hottest months of the year. The interaction between chalk and local microclimates gives the wines a distinctive character of flavor, freshness and minerality.
The vineyards are mainly located the western and northern flank of the massif, forming a vast semicircle starting from Tauxieres durante the southern sector to Merfy durante the northern sector. The slopes, altitude and differentiated exposure generate a pedoclimatic mosaic of formidable value for viticulture. It is anzi che no coincidence that the greatest number of municipalities classified as ‘Grand Cru’ are precisely the prerogative of this sub-area, the chosen territory of pinot noir – around 60% of the vineyard zona – and consequently of the most powerful and structured wines durante the region.
The wine-growing vocation of the Montagne de Reims has been documented since the Middle Ages, when the monastic orders and ecclesiastical institutions of Reims promoted the cultivation of vines durante the areas surrounding the city, a religious and political center of primary importance. Per the following centuries, the local wine-growing communities consolidated the ampelographic heritage and, with the affirmation of the classical method durante the 17th century, the local plots gained progressive and consolidated notoriety.
The small church of Chigny-les-Roses preserves five ‘protected’ paintings depicting various aspects of an even older religious building, surrounded by lush rows of red grapes. The village was the cradle of the family storia of the famous Pommerys and durante the nineteenth century the ‘Dame du Champagne’ created a wonderful rose garden around her country chalet, durante honor of which the then President of the Republic Emile Loubet decided to rename the municipality with its current name.
Before them, back durante 1625 to be precise, another illustrious dynasty began cultivating vines durante emblematic plots of Chigny-les-Roses such as Les Bonnettes, Les Prussiens Les Croix Cordier and last year Champagne Cattier celebrated four uninterrupted centuries of glorious ‘Récoltant Manipulant’ activity. After the troubled period of phylloxera and the outbreak of the First World War, durante 1916 Jean Cattier was forced to return from the front as a wounded veteran. Unable to sell the harvest coppia to the crisis linked to the ongoing conflict, he decided to make wine from the grapes himself and produced his first Champagne which was released the market durante 1918.
ALEXANDRE CATTIER
Per 1950 his son purchased the Clos du Moulin, one of the very few historic vineyards durante the region surrounded by dry stone walls, together with the legendary Clos des Goisses and Clos du Mesnil. The first harvest took place the following year and durante 1956 a pioneering parcel Champagne was placed the market. Per 2011 the reins of the company passed into the hands of the young winemaker Alexandre Cattier, the thirteenth generation to work the vineyards and the fourth to refine their labels, who manages it together with his cousins Agathe and Marie with meticulous enthusiasm, humble pride and constant striving for excellence.
The current 33 hectares of property located durante the Premier Cru municipal zona of Chigny-les-Roses and durante the neighboring villages of Ludes and Rilly-la-Montagne benefit from a terroir that winks at that of the nearby Marne Valley and, therefore, particularly suited to the breeding of pinot meunier, a variety increasingly appreciated by lovers of bubbles for its innate aptitude for sculpting soft and fruity wines.
Per the ‘Tradition’ line, the delicious grace of Brut Quartz stands out, a sparkling wine with lively aromas of plum, apple and biscuit bread. The taut and vibrant sip seals its commendable quality/price ratio. The jewel durante the crown of the company portfolio is represented by the ‘Premier Cru’ line and the classic Brut Premier Cru kicks chiuso the ball durante style by showing chiuso a complex bouquet where hints of cooked pear, honey, hazelnut and gingerbread intertwine a bright golden fabric and a delicate but incisive perlage.
The Brut Premier Cru Blanc de Noirs (80% pinot noir and 20% pinot meunier) shifts into higher gear and caresses the nose and palate with a persuasive scent of apricot, currant, fig, tropical fruit and pink grapefruit, a sensorial framework that we find – embellished with spicy hints of pastry and balsamic iodized whiffs – durante the more creamy and structured Brut Premier Cru Rosé (50% pinot meunier, 40% pinot noir and 10% chardonnay): two surprising and unmissable champions durante their category.
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