De Saint Gall

De Saint Gall is not a classic family estate but the brand of a cooperative. Behind it stands Union Champagne, based in Avize. Founded in 1966, it is a cooperative of cooperatives. The figures in the earlier text are out of date: today 15 cooperatives in Champagne have joined forces to produce the Saint-Gall cuvées. After roughly six decades, talk of "almost 40 years" and twelve production sites no longer applies.

Vineyards and grape varieties

More than 2,300 growers farm about 1,400 hectares, around 800 of them planted with Chardonnay. Every plot is classified as Premier Cru or Grand Cru. The three principal grape varieties of the Côte des Blancs, the Montagne de Reims and the Marne Valley are used, but the heart of it all remains the Côte des Blancs. The finest qualities come from the slopes around Avize, Cramant, Oger and Le Mesnil. The wines are aged in four kilometres of cellars cut into the chalk.

Winemaking

The cellar master is Cédric Jacopin. He puts together a range of about ten cuvées, a third of them blanc de blancs. The wines are made at Union Champagne's facilities in Avize. In the vineyards the Union focuses on sustainability, without being able to claim organic status: since 2012 it has worked closely with its partner growers on more environmentally friendly viticulture. More than 50 per cent of the vineyard area is certified under VDC and/or HVE level 3.

Cuvées and where to buy

The prestige cuvée is called Orpale. It is made exclusively from Chardonnay from the four Grand Cru villages of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant, Avize and Oger. It is produced only in years with an exceptional harvest and ages for more than a decade in the cellars of Avize. Part of the grapes do not go through malolactic fermentation, so that freshness and minerality are preserved. The brand's online shop lists vintages such as 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2012, as well as an Orpale 2004 Zero Dosage. The range also includes So Dark, Le Blanc de Blancs as a Premier Cru and as a Grand Cru Extra Brut, Le Tradition and a Grand Cru Rosé.

The address is 7 Rue Pasteur, 51190 Avize. I could not find reliable information on visits or tastings. It is best to enquire directly via the brand's website.