Courteron

Setting on the Seine

Courteron lies in the south of the Aube département, about 40 kilometres south-east of Troyes. The Seine flows through the central part of the commune. Administratively, the village belongs to the arrondissement of Troyes and the canton of Bar-sur-Seine. Neighbouring communes are Gyé-sur-Seine, Essoyes and Plaines-Saint-Lange.

With 99 inhabitants (as of 2023), Courteron is a very small village with scattered buildings. Woodland dominates the commune: according to the 2018 Corine Land Cover survey, forest covers a good 57 per cent of the area, arable land a good 22 per cent, and permanent crops, which include the vines, just under 12 per cent. The climate is temperate, with fresh summers and rather harsh winters.

Viticulture and champagne houses

Courteron sits in the Côte des Bar, the southern growing area of Champagne, where Pinot Noir traditionally dominates. The village has no grand cru or premier cru status. What is remarkable, though, is the density of producers: 24 estates make champagne here. Among the better-known addresses are:

“Its renovation was financed by crowdfunding in 2016, which was probably a first for hydropower in Europe.

• Champagne Ambroise Laurent
• Champagne Dubreuil Frères
• Champagne Cottet-Dubreuil
• Champagne Fleury
• Champagne Mannoury EM
• Champagne Maurice Deguise
• Champagne Schreiber

The house of Fleury works along biodynamic principles and has been featured several times in the press for that reason. If you are looking for small grower champagnes away from the big brands, Courteron makes a rewarding starting point.

An early electricity story

One peculiarity of the village is its energy history. Courteron is considered the first commune in the Aube to supply itself with electricity, and one of the first in France altogether. The miller Nicolle, who had brought the idea back from America, put the driving power of his mill at the village's disposal and had the streets lit first. In 1888 the installation was officially inaugurated with a big celebration.

Besserat de Bellefon Champagner, rose Champagner Rezepte & Kochen

The mill dates from the Middle Ages and was later converted into a small hydroelectric plant. Its renovation was financed by crowdfunding in 2016, which was probably a first for hydropower in Europe. The author Rémi Huth documented the village's history in a detailed book in 2017.

Sights and walking

The village church is Saint-Lambert. Around the village, the Aube tourist office has laid out a walking trail to the cadoles, the small stone huts of the vineyards and fields. It makes a good stroll before or after a tasting at a grower's cellar.

Art has left its mark here too: the painter Paul Rebeyrolle lived in Courteron for a few years after leaving Paris in 1960.