Le Mesnil Upr

A cooperative in the heart of the Côte des Blancs

Le Mesnil is not a family estate but the brand of a growers' cooperative: the Union des Propriétaires Récoltants, or UPR for short, in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. It was founded in 1937, in economically difficult times. Local growers pooled their resources, bought buildings that had previously belonged to Champagne Henriot, and set up a press along with a small winery. The cooperative's own brand reached the market in the early 1970s.

Vineyards and way of working

The village is classified 100% grand cru. The cooperative has more than 500 members and around 305 hectares of vines. Other sources give slightly different figures: up to 780 members and 324 hectares. The harvest is pressed on site. The cooperative does not farm organically. It follows the lutte raisonnée approach and sprays only when necessary. Fermentation takes place at 18 degrees in temperature-controlled stainless steel and concrete tanks. The estate is run by the oenologist Gilles Marguet. One focus is the sale of base wines to large champagne houses.

The cuvées

The white champagnes are pure Chardonnay. The heart of the range is the Sublime line:

• Sublime Grand Cru Brut: The share of the current vintage in the cuvée is usually around 90%, with 10% reserve wines added. It ages for at least three years on the bottle and receives roughly 7 g/l dosage.
• Sublime Millésime 2015: The grapes come from Avize, Oger, Cramant and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The dosage is 8 g/l.
• Sublime Rosé: It is made up of 49% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir and 13% red wine, with 9 g/l dosage. The Pinot Noir comes from friendly grand cru cooperatives on the Montagne de Reims.
• Héritage: This cuvée is a heptalésime, a blend of seven vintages (2007 to 2015). It was disgorged in 2018 as an extra brut with 4.6 g/l and limited to 3,246 bottles.

Visiting and tasting

The cooperative is based at 19 Rue Charpentier Laurain. Tastings and sales are possible directly on site. Call ahead on +33 3 26 57 53 23 to make an appointment. If you want to get to know the terroir of Le Mesnil, this is a way in at fair prices.