Coteaux Champenois

Coteaux Champenois is an official designation or appellation for still wines from the Champagne region. In contrast to vines for Champagne, the price of vines for Coteaux Champenois is not subject to any official regulation (the price of the vines is therefore generally somewhat lower). Sometimes (after official certification) they are later also valorised as (reserve) wine for the production of Champagne. The collective term Coteaux Champenois covers red, white and rosé wines. They often come from famous crus such as Ambonnay, Bouzy, Cumières or Vertus. Only around 1 million bottles of these wines are produced each year.

Compared to other famous wine-growing regions in France, the Champagne houses that produce red wines, or Coteaux Champenois Rouge, are at a climatic disadvantage due to their northern geographical location. However, as soon as nature favours the vineyards for the production of red wines in some years with unusually high levels of sunshine, the cellar masters in Champagne can also produce fantastic red wines. Every two or three (or sometimes even ten) years, such grapes are available to the cellar masters. Consequently, in relatively small quantities, some houses also produce red wines that occasionally inspire awe, even among some loyal Burgundy or Bordeaux fans. Bouzy Rouge from the Grand Cru commune of Bouzy, for example, was considered a favourite red wine of the French King Louis XIV. Incidentally, it is also red wines of this type which, when blended, give rosé champagnes their beautiful pink colour and additional flavour notes.

It should also be noted that although the famous Rosé des Riceys is also a still wine from Champagne, it is not a Coteaux Champenois.

 

 

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