Chartogne Taillet

The History of Champagne Chartogne-Taillet

The estate's history reaches back long before the invention of the wine label. Nicolas Taillet is recorded in Merfy as early as 1490, and around 1540 Fiacre Taillet began the family's winegrowing activity, later appearing among the wine merchants of François I's reign. Another Fiacre Taillet, born in 1700, kept remarkably detailed notebooks, now held in the Reims archives, recording more than a century of vineyard work and harvests. They show that in 1780, Merfy grapes were among the most expensive in the region, alongside those from the most renowned vineyards.

The Chartogne family settled in the village in the 17th century, and Oscar Chartogne acquired his first vines in 1870. The marriage of Marie Chartogne and Étienne Taillet in 1920 united the two family lines and gave rise to the estate as it is known today. Philippe and Élisabeth Chartogne took the helm in 1978, before Alexandre Chartogne succeeded them in 2006 at the age of twenty-two, shaped by a pivotal internship with Anselme Selosse in Avize. On his arrival, he eliminated herbicides, made his first single-vineyard wines, beginning with Les Barres, then created the Hors-Série cuvée in 2018. Today, the estate is Merfy's last grower-producer.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Champagne Chartogne-Taillet

The vineyard stretches across the southern and southeastern slopes of the Saint-Thierry massif, a limestone plateau often nicknamed the little Montagne de Reims and one of the northernmost areas of the appellation. Its terroir forms an unparalleled geological mosaic: deep Thanetian sands, clays, chalk, sandstone, active limestone, tuffeau limestone, silica and iron oxides sometimes alternate from one vine row to the next. Analyses by Claude and Lydia Bourguignon confirmed this diversity and reinforced the estate's plot-by-plot approach.

Each named vineyard site thus has its own distinct character: deep sands over chalk at Les Barres and Les Orizeaux, sandstone and clayey sands at Heurtebise, moist clay and tuffeau limestone at Les Couarres, iron-rich calcareous sands at Chemin de Reims, and active limestone at Les Grands-Champs. A few ares in Avize and Oger, in the Côte des Blancs, complete the holdings. The vines average thirty-five years of age, with one jewel: the ungrafted Pinot Meunier vines of Les Barres, planted in 1952 and spared by phylloxera thanks to the sand. Half the plots are plowed by horse, no herbicides have been used since 2006, vineyard practices draw on biodynamics without seeking certification, and all harvesting is done by hand.

Winemaking at Champagne Chartogne-Taillet

Winemaking follows the same logic as the vineyard: each plot is pressed, fermented and aged separately, never blended into a uniform style. Pressing is long and gentle to preserve the purity of the juice, and fermentation relies solely on the indigenous yeasts of each named vineyard site. The cellar in Merfy, partly dug into the chalk, houses a deliberately varied range of vessels: stainless steel tanks, 228-, 350- and 600-liter Burgundy barrels, concrete tanks, Nomblot eggs and amphorae. This is no mere showcase of vessels; each wine goes into the one that suits it.

Aging lasts eight to eighteen months for the single-vineyard cuvées, while Hors-Série spends up to forty-two months on the lees. Some plots call for regular topping-up to limit oxidation; others benefit instead from greater oxygen exposure, which encourages the wine's mineral character to develop and allows salinity to take precedence over varietal aromas. Bottling takes place at the estate without filtration, with minimal sulfur, followed by at least three years of cellar aging. Dosages are deliberately low, most often extra-brut.

The Cuvées of Champagne Chartogne-Taillet

Cuvée Sainte-Anne: a tribute to Merfy's patron saint, this blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier brings together all the village's plots and offers an introduction to the estate's wines. Brilliant color, fine mousse, a bouquet of white fruit, citrus and flowers accented by brioche notes, and a harmonious, lingering palate. A remarkable example of village champagne, best enjoyed within its first five to eight years.

Le Rosé: a blended rosé made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with a portion of red wine produced at the estate, notably from Les Orizeaux. Luminous salmon color, a nose of fresh strawberry, redcurrant and rose petals, and a silky, energetic palate. A food-friendly rosé well suited to shellfish, delicate poultry and contemporary cuisine.

Saint-Thierry: a true geological portrait of the massif for which it is named, this cuvée blends plots on the area's sandy and clay soils. It stands out for its fuller structure, added depth and long finish carried by a delicate salinity. Notes of white fruit, ripe citrus, dried flowers and damp chalk, with aging potential of eight to twelve years.

Les Barres: the original single-vineyard cuvée, made from ungrafted Pinot Meunier vines planted in 1952 in nearly three meters of sand above the chalk. Aged in 228-liter barrels, it offers a generous texture in its youth before developing greater mineral finesse. Yellow fruit, pear, dried flowers and a lingering chalky finish.

Les Alliées: 100% Pinot Meunier from a plot planted in 1969 west of Merfy, on black sands and heavier clays that retain water and heighten the grape's generous fruit character. Fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged in old barrels and kept on the lees for an extended period. An exuberant champagne with notes of ripe apple, hazelnut and sweet spices.

Beaux Sens: a small, emblematic plot of the estate planted to Meunier vines that, thanks to the sandy soil, have also remained ungrafted. Vinified separately, it brings freshness and bright fruit and showcases the pre-phylloxera vine heritage preserved in Merfy. A rare expression, taut and full of character.

Les Couarres: a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown on moist clay soils with tuffeau limestone, on a gentle south-facing slope. Barrel aging with regular topping-up preserves the balance of juice sensitive to oxygen. Ripe red fruit, cherry, sweet spices and subtle smoky notes, with a full palate and saline finish. Aging potential of ten to fifteen years.

Couarres Château: a selection of pure Pinot Noir from the same group of plots, with a deeper color and expressive nose. Fleshier and more vinous than its counterpart, this limited-production cuvée shows what the Saint-Thierry massif can produce as a blanc de noirs, combining concentration with chalky freshness.

Orizeaux: a Pinot Noir blanc de noirs from deep sands over underlying chalk. Aging in old barrels preserves the clarity of the terroir's expression and lends a supple texture balanced by delicate salinity. Ripe fruit, dried flowers, anise and a vibrant finish make this one of the estate's most sought-after cuvées.

Heurtebise: a blanc de blancs from a plot combining sand, clay and sandstone, planted predominantly to Chardonnay. The wines age in Burgundy barrels for nine to eighteen months, followed by an extended period on the lees in bottle. Airy elegance, citrus zest, wildflowers and a finely etched stony character, ideal with oysters, shellfish and raw fish.

Chemin de Reims: a plot planted to approximately 85% Chardonnay, complemented by Arbanne, a secondary grape variety now extremely rare in Champagne. The sandy, calcareous soil, rich in iron oxides, gives the wine a pronounced structure. Aged in 350- to 600-liter barrels with regular topping-up, yielding a precise, spicy, silky champagne with lasting salinity.

Cuvée Fiacre: the house's historic flagship cuvée, named in memory of the ancestors who built the estate. Made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the finest old vines and aged in oak barrels, it reveals intense aromas, a silky texture and a depth that calls for a meal rather than an aperitif.

Hors-Série: created in 2018, this Chardonnay cuvée comes from the Grand Cru villages of Avize and Oger, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, and is aged in barrels before spending forty-two months on the lees. Pale gold color with silver highlights, a nose of candied citrus, white fruit and chalk, and a dense, focused palate with an exceptionally long saline finish. An exceptional wine for aging, capable of developing over fifteen to twenty years.