Vertus

Location

Vertus lies in the south of the Côte des Blancs, just under 20 kilometres south of Épernay in the Marne département. The village sits on the last foothills of the Île-de-France. From sites such as La Pierre aux Corbeaux and Les Falloises, the view opens out over the Champagne plain, dominated by the outlier hill of Mont Aimé (240 metres). Vertus lies on the Route touristique du Champagne. Since 1 January 2018 it has formed, together with Gionges, Oger and Voipreux, the commune nouvelle of Blancs-Coteaux, and the new town hall is in the former town hall of Vertus. At the last count the village had 2,372 inhabitants (2015).

Viticulture

The vineyards of Vertus are classified Premier Cru. That is a good rating, though not one of the very top sites. As everywhere on the Côte des Blancs, Chardonnay dominates. About a sixth of the vineyard area, however, is planted with Pinot noir, which is unusual for this part of the region. With around 500 hectares, Vertus is considered the largest wine-growing commune in the Marne and, after Les Riceys, the second largest in the whole of Champagne.

The village is best known for its blanc de blancs, that is champagne made exclusively from white grapes. Big houses such as Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Roederer also own vineyards there. Since 1859 Duval-Leroy has also been based here, one of the last large champagne houses still in family ownership.

“At the last count the village had 2,372 inhabitants (2015).ViticultureThe vineyards of Vertus are classified Premier Cru.

History

Vertus is a very old settlement. In the Middle Ages the Counts of Champagne endowed the village with several monasteries, and in 1230 it received a town wall. In 1360 John the Good created the County of Vertus as part of his daughter Isabelle's dowry. When he fell into English captivity, the inhabitants contributed to his ransom. In thanks, he granted the town a coat of arms in 1361 bearing the motto "Vivit post funera virtus", which means: courage outlives death. During the Hundred Years' War Vertus long held out against the English, until they burned it down in 1380. The poet Eustache Deschamps came from the village, and he praised the way of life here.

Bergères-lès-Vertus

Sights

If you have a little time between tastings, you can follow a historical walk with 17 stops. It leads through the medieval heart of the village. Highlights include:

• the church of Saint-Martin from the late 11th and early 12th centuries, with three crypts and finely worked capitals, protected as a monument historique since 1854
• the Puits Saint-Martin at the foot of the church, a well with its wash-house
• the Porte Baudet and remains of the medieval town wall
• the town hall in a former maladrerie, later the seat of the institution des dames régentes
• the former Hôtel-Dieu of 1211, which is a listed building

Several fountains and wash-houses in the village centre are a reminder of how important water was here. The Berle springs up, among other places, at the Grande-Fontaine.