Les Riceys

Location

Les Riceys lies in the south of the Aube département, around 40 kilometres south-east of Troyes on the little river Laignes. The commune belongs to the Barrois champenois, the Côte des Bar, and is the southernmost commune in the Champagne appellation. It is made up of three villages strung along the Laignes: Ricey-Haut in the south, Ricey-Haute-Rive in the middle and Ricey-Bas in the north. On 1 January 2023 Les Riceys had 1,174 inhabitants. Almost half of the commune's land is wooded (46.3 per cent in 2018), and a good quarter is given over to permanent crops, which include the vineyards.

Viticulture

With 866 hectares of vines, Les Riceys has the largest vineyard area of any commune in Champagne. It also has a distinction all of its own: it is the only commune in Champagne that brings together three wine appellations:

• Champagne
• Coteaux Champenois, the region's still wines
• Rosé des Riceys

Rosé des Riceys is a still rosé made from Pinot Noir and a rarity among the wines of the region. It was already served at the table of Louis XIV. Henry IV is also said to have been offered a wine from Les Riceys. If you want to get to know Champagne beyond the well-trodden sparkling wine routes, this is a particularly rewarding place to do it.

“The three villages were only merged into the present commune in 1790.SightsFor a place of its size, Les Riceys has a striking number of listed buildings.

History

Ricey-Bas goes back to Gallo-Roman times, while Ricey-Haute-Rive and Ricey-Haut are more recent. The name is recorded from the Merovingian period in the form Riciaco. In Carolingian times the place belonged to the Pagus du Lassois, on Burgundian territory. This later prompted debate over whether this terroir should be allowed to count as part of the Champagne appellation. In the Middle Ages the Counts of Tonnerre were the lords of the area. In the 15th century Nicolas Rolin, Chancellor of Burgundy and founder of the Hospices de Beaune, was lord of Ricey-Bas. The three villages were only merged into the present commune in 1790.

Chateau de Bligny Champagner

Sights

For a place of its size, Les Riceys has a striking number of listed buildings. They include:

• the churches of Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens in Ricey-Bas, Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Ricey-Haute-Rive and Saint-Vincent in Ricey-Haut
• several chapels, among them Saint-Antoine, Saint-Clair and Sainte-Sabine
• the château of Ricey-Bas and the Château Le Clos-Saint-Roch
• the bridge and the covered market of Ricey-Haut

The Château Saint-Louis stands on the Île Saint-Louis. Allow plenty of time for a visit, as the three villages are some distance apart. A walk among vineyards, woods and the river is easily combined with a tasting at a grower's cellar.