There and back again: a champagne lover’s tale

An early start, decent Eurotunnel prices and the smooth French péage roads now make a day return journey from the UK to Champagne feasible, enjoyable and affordable, writes Caroline Hampden-White.

Jean-Pierre Redont at Taittinger. Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White

The theme of our visit was grower champagnes and we had appointments with three quite different houses. Introducing someone to this wonderful area for the first time is an exciting and romantic moment; my photographer husband and I were launching my Paris-based sister and her husband into the new world of the Champagne region.

I’m normally sipping a latte at 10am but today we were being greeted by Jean-Pierre Redont at the gates of Taittinger. A charming man, originally from Champagne, J-P was formerly involved in the political world but now he’s Taittinger’s Brand Ambassador.

Certainly Taittinger is a grand marque Champagne but, unlike many competitors, 50% of the grapes come from their own vines and the rest are selected with enormous care from trusted growers. They are also the only family-owned, family-run grand marque champagne left; family spirit and values are evident in their business and produce.

Sinking back into the plush seats of their mini-cinema room, we learnt something of the area’s background and discovered Taittinger’s place within that history: from the thirteenth century Benedictine Abbey of Saint Nicaise, destroyed during the French revolution, to Pierre Taittinger’s debut in the early 20^th century. Greater detail of the history would be revealed to us later, during the tour.

We descending several levels via a spiral staircase (there is a lift also) and emerged into a smallish passageway, 16 meters underground. You can still see the original stairs the monks used in the thirteenth century and a few racks holding large format bottles of Comtes de Champagne.

Taittinger’s Comtes de Champagne. Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White

Down another level we emerged into perfect storage and maturation conditions of 90% humidity and 14 degrees centigrade.  The walls are fascinating. A lacework of carvings, made through the ages, covers the limestone. There are many poignant and beautiful examples from the First World War, when the cellars were used as a hospital, and older ones dating back even as far as the middle ages.

At this level the sheer magnitude of the cellars become evident. Redont related that there 3 million bottles of Comtes de Champagne stored in the cellars at any one time, stretching 6 miles under the streets of Reims.

Taittinger Cellar. Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White

Deeper still, at 18 meters, we passed through a crypt and found a chapel hewn into the living rock.  The cellars are actually the by-product of the Roman occupation in the third century.  They were after the stone and their quarrying activities produced these incredible underground caverns.  Further space has been carved out subsequently, creating this rabbit-warren of tunnels and pod-like storage chambers for the precious liquid.

Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White

Redont had talked us through the process of production, including their particular dosage of 9g sugar per litre, and our enjoyment of the final product was about to take place.  Exiting the cellar lift, we stepped into a light and airy reception room tastefully, but not too corporately, decorated with tapestries, family photos and a beautiful example of sculptor Armand Pierre Arman’s work, with expectation and a thirst.

There are several cuvées at Taittinger. The best-known is the brut réserve, and a perfect place to start. It’s easy to understand why the British are the largest consumers of such quaffable Champagne. Other fine fillies in the Taittinger stable include the Demi Sec, Prestige Rosé, Nocturne, Prélude, Brut Millesime, Les Folies de la Marquetterie (an NV single vineyard Champagne) and finally the joint jewels in the crown: Comtes de Champagne Rosé and Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs.

Prélude is like a mini-Comtes in style, powerful and rich. We finished on the 2004 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs. It has all the power of the Prélude but with even greater depth and delicacy, a finesse that gives this champagne its rightful place at the top of the Taittinger tree.

Jean Paul Morel. Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White

Our next rendezvous was with Jean-Paul Morel.  Situated in Verzenay, and in complete contrast to Taittinger (who produce well over 5 million bottles per annum) Morel produces just 20,000 bottles a year.

A modest-looking street entrance conceals a treasure-chest of hand-produced champagne.  Unusually, we started our visit by going up in the lift, stepping out onto a large terrace with the most glorious view. Looking out over the rooftops of Verzenay, one sees why Jean Paul chose to settle here.

Jean Paul Morel’s Terrace. Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White

We stepped from the terrace into his tasting room where a plethora of bottles in different shapes, sizes is displayed with pride.

Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White

Morel selected four examples from his range of champagnes for our tasting. The terroir is chalky with a high mineral content, making Pinot Noir the best grape variety to grow here; Chardonnay is used for blending and accounts for only 30% of the vines.

Morel has a love of aged wine and this year’s NV champagnes are from 2004/2005.  Current vintages on the market are 2002 and a very small amount of 2000.

One of his top selling wines is the Carte Noir, a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, with 10g/l dosage. All the grapes are from Verzenay, from the 2004 and 2005 harvest. The champagne has been aged for at least 4 years and only 10,000 bottles were produced. This champagne can be found in the UK and is sold exclusively by the Champagne Warehouse who specialise in grower champagne from smaller champagne houses into the UK. http://www.champagnewarehouse.com/

Jean Paul Morel and the author, Caroline Hampden-White. Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White

Morel is happy to receive visitors but do make an appointment – or he might well be out tending his vines.

Jean Paul Morel’s cellar. Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White

Morel keeps his recent wines in the lowest cellar and he showed us the sediment in the newly laid down bottles. As the wines get older, they move up to higher levels until they are eventually launched into the big wide world.  These utilitarian cellars with concrete walls stand in stark contrast to the beautiful cellars at Taittinger.  But they still have charm and a feel of history, with traces of an old blocked-up stairway and mechanical non-electric methods for riddling.

Jean Paul Morel’s cellar. Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White

We left Verzenay in the blazing sun with rumbling stomachs. There are plenty of places to have lunch from smart restaurants in Reims, such as the Café de la Paix, to boulangeries and quaint little cafés in every village.

On our way to Hautvillers we stopped at a little boulangerie in the centre of Ay for a delicious lunch of cheese breads, pizza and macaroons.  They have a deal with the café next door: you buy your food in one and wash it down with drinks from the other.  Simple satisfaction.

A visit to Champagne should not be without a visit to Hautvillers.  This small village just outside Epernay is where it all started and boasts the abbey where Dom Perignon lived and the chapel in which he rests, his gravestone in front of the altar.

The Abbey at Hautvillers. Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White

This is very much a working village; outside each building a little metalwork sign depicts the trade practiced by the proprietor.

Our last appointment was in Reuill at 4pm, so with plenty of time we were able to drive around the vines, take a quick look at the very pretty Château Boursault and watch a boule tournament in the village before knocking on the door of Stéphane and Virginie Philizot.

Stéphane and Virginie Philizot. Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White
Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White

The Philizot family don’t live on-site but run a beautiful B&B from their house alongside the main business of champagne production.  Their elegant modern home has a very relaxed atmosphere and we were offered nibbles by their delightful children whilst an inquisitive ginger cat, appropriately named Carotte, considered whether he liked us. I think we passed the test. Sensibly, they let their champagnes speak for themselves.  Although their production is not quite as high as the 5 million plus of Taittinger, it’s significant at 500,000 bottles a year.

Still using all their own grapes, they make champagne not only for themselves, but for Aldi. It’s called Veuve Monsigny, and was awarded a silver medal at the International Wine Challenge 2013 where it was said to be better than many grand marque bottles, including such beasts as Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2004 and Moet and Chandon’s Imperial NV.  At just £12.99 Veuve Monsigny by Philizot is an outstanding buy with poise, a delicate core of fruit and well-balanced acidity.

The couple are the business end of the family’s champagne production.  They benefit from cousin Gerard’s experience who, after making the wine at Lanson for 40 years, certainly knows what he is doing.

Having sampled their fine wares we said our goodbyes and started the drive back to Calais. Discussing the day, we decided we could have fitted an extra tasting in, but our visit to Champagne felt complete. What did our Champagne debutants think?  Having seen old and new, large and small productions, and taken in a bit of the countryside and towns, they had seen a good share. Not enough for a lifetime, but enough to know we would all be back.