Pourcy

Location

Pourcy lies in the north-west of the Marne département, just under 20 kilometres south-west of Reims. The village sits in the Ardre valley, where the river cuts into the Montagne de Reims. The commune covers 835 hectares and belongs to the Montagne de Reims Regional Nature Park, with altitudes ranging from 138 to 263 metres. The highest point is in the north-east, on the border with Écueil. Neighbouring communes include Marfaux, Écueil, Nanteuil-la-Forêt and Chaumuzy. In agricultural terms, the area is counted as part of the Tardenois.

Viticulture

Pourcy has about 20 hectares of vines within the Champagne appellation. That is modest, and the village is classified neither as grand cru nor as premier cru. It is, however, one of those places where the vineyards are woven into a landscape of woodland and arable land: according to the 2018 data, forest covers around 66 per cent of the commune and arable land a good 22 per cent. Permanent crops, which include the vines, account for a little over 3 per cent. The climate is temperate with cool summers. The nearest weather station, at Chambrecy, records an average of 10.7 °C and 734 millimetres of rainfall a year (1991 to 2020). If you are looking for champagne from this corner of the Montagne de Reims, you are more likely to find it with small growers than with the big names.

“The nearest weather station, at Chambrecy, records an average of 10.7 °C and 734 millimetres of rainfall a year (1991 to 2020).

History

The name of the village is recorded from the early 11th century as Porcetum. It is traced back to the Latin man's name Porcius. Around 1860 the form Pourcy-le-Château also appears. During the First World War there was fierce fighting around Pourcy, particularly in the Second Battle of the Marne. On 30 May 1921 the commune was awarded the Croix de guerre 1914-1918.

Charles Heidsieck Champagner

Sights

Pourcy makes a good quiet stop away from the better-known champagne routes. The village is the starting point for several walking trails. These are worth a look:

• the Romanesque church of Saint-Rémi
• the Maison du parc naturel régional de la Montagne de Reims, with its educational pond, orchard preserving old fruit varieties and exhibition space
• the remains of the mill, which originally stood on the Chemin de Nanteuil and can now be seen on the Place Henri-Macquart
• the geological curiosity of the Faluns de Pourcy

With 194 inhabitants (2023), known as the Pourciens, Pourcy is a very small place. Administratively it belongs to the canton of Dormans-Paysages de Champagne and, since 2017, to the Grand Reims community. That makes it a peaceful base for excursions into the valleys west of Reims.