Chartogne-Taillet
| Vigneron | Alexandre Chartogne |
| Location | Merfy (Marne) |
| Size of Domaine | 12 ha |
| Terroir | Continental climate with Oceanic influence. Clay, sand and sandstone over chalk bedrock. Gentle slopes, various aspects. 80-150m altitude. |
| Viticulture | Chemical-free, healthy soils is paramount, partial grass cover, horse ploughing. |
| View Chartogne-Taillet wines ↓ |
Chartogne-Taillet based in Merfy just north-west of Reims and run by Alexandre Chartogne is hitting new heights of excellence. Starting out in 2006 at the age of just 23, Alexandre worked briefly with Anselme Selosse, who has heavily influenced his ideas on viticulture (although their winemaking styles are radically different).
Setting out to understand all his terroirs and sub-soils (clay and sand over chalk), Alexandre has worked closely with renowned soil analysts Claude and Lydia Bourguignon, comparing the still wines he made from each lieu-dit to 17th-century family records of barrels of wine from the same terroirs. These were sold to the monks in a local abbey, who knew their stuff and paid up to ten times more for wines from certain parcels, and Alex notes that there was an incredible correlation between the plots highlighted for their qualities by the Bourguignons, and the monks preferred parcels.
Alexandre now produces no less than eight special, single parcel bottlings such as Les Barres from ungrafted pinot meunier planted in calcareous sand overlying a bedrock of chalk in 1952, or Les Orizeaux, a pinot noir champagne from 1961 vines planted in broken limestone over deep sands. "By choosing to work with plots, I continue the work of understanding and interpreting nature. I try to capture the natural wealth and translate it in the best way in my cellar, without modification". Focus here is always on the health of the individual soils – soil and place are of vital importance. Chickens and sheep are allowed to roam around in the vines to eat bugs, grubs and control pests, and help manage weed control. Grass is partially allowed to grow, ploughing is done by horse (50% of the surface) or light tractor to avoid soil compaction, no herbicides or pesticides, bouillie bordelaise against oidium/mildew but no certification although organic farming has been practised at the domaine since 2002 – Alex doesn't want the hassle of extra bureaucracy and wishes "to remain free." Low yields, natural yeasts, ageing of some wines under flor, sensitive élevage in oak barrels are now the norm, and his champagnes are incredibly nuanced, they taste very elegant, chiselled and poised.
When we last visited in spring, work on a new cellar was well advanced, and massive old limestone blocks were being winched into place with the aim of everything being finished in time to receive the 2019 harvest. Alexandre is forever experimenting with restless energy and curiosity is at the heart of everything that he does. "I don’t feel good when I’m sure about something", he comments.
At work in Couarres-Château Chartogne-Taillet Wines
SAINTE-ANNE
50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier
50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier (12.5% alc.)
This is a lovely, delicate style of champagne with fine bubbles (liqueur de tirage at 22g/l instead of the more typical 24g/l for the secondary fermentation), showing very pure citrus fruits with good energy, a hint of quince, brioche and a saline, mineral flavour. It comes from 35yo vines planted in sandstone, clay and chalk in Merfy. Made from the 2023 vintage mainly with some reserve wines, it was disgorged in October 2025, dosage 3.8g/l.
LES COUARRES 2020
65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay
65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay (12.5% alc.)
Les Couarres is a lieu-dit in the heart of Merfy on a gentle south-facing slope where Alexandre owns two parcels – one on tuffeau (soft, fine-grained, mica-rich limestone also found in the Loire) and another one on deep clay soil. Particularly sensitive to oxidation, Alexandre takes great care in protecting these wines by using 2-3yo barrels which he places in the coolest part of the cave and tops up regularly. The wines from this parcel take time to unfurl and reveal themselves, they have a fleshy, spherical quality imparted by the clay soils which also bring tension and fine bitters, and a fine, gentle stony dimension from the tuffeau. Disgorged 05/25 - Dosage 2.5g/l.
LES BARRES 2020
100% Pinot Meunier
100% Pinot Meunier (12.5% alc.)
From a tiny parcel of ungrafted meunier vines planted in 1952 that were never touched by phylloxera (in a layer of sand that lies five feet above a bedrock of Campanian chalk), this was fermented entirely in 3-6yo oak barrels. It’s elegantly textured and sleekly built, marked by a graceful tension and a resonant briny signature of sandy soils. It unfolds on the palate with subtle layers of flavour, persisting with refined harmony and excellent length. Disgorged 05/25 - Dosage 1g/l.
ORIZEAUX 2020
100% Pinot Noir
100% Pinot Noir (12.5% alc.)
This comes from vines planted in 1961 in sandy soil just above Alexandre's parcel of Les Barres. The parcel has always been highly prized by the Chartogne family as the wine reflects both the warmth of the Thanetian sandy soil and the mineral quality of the limestone bedrock. Aged in 3-6yo barrels with 22g/l for the secondary fermentation, it’s a champagne of refinement and class, with succulent, perfectly pitched red fruits and is sure to age very well. Disgorged 06/25 - Dosage 2.5g/l.
HEURTEBISE 2019
100% Chardonnay
100% Chardonnay (12.5% alc.)
Les Heurtes Bises is a lieu-dit on a windy plateau in Merfy, anchored in a sandstone bedrock with water holding capacity far inferior to that of chalk soils nearby. The vines are regularly subjected to excess or lack of water as a result, so Alex pays particular attention to canopy management to help the plant adapt, either promoting evapotranspiration (water loss through the plant’s leaves) in wet vintages, or suppressing it in dry vintages. Alex pushed the élevage up to 18 months in 228ltr barrels to bring breadth and volume to this finely chiselled, multi-layered mineral bomb. Disgorged 02/24 - Dosage 2.4g/l.
CHEMIN DE REIMS 2020
90% Chardonnay, 10% Arbanne
90% Chardonnay, 10% Arbanne (12.5% alc.)
1.1ha of vines (planted in 1980, 1995, 2011) often worked under a natural cover crop to limit water excess and vines' vigour. The iron-rich soil as well as S/SE exposure yield a full wine structured by tannins-like bitters. Aged in 350 and 600ltr barrels with regular top-ups to promote reduction and preserve the originality of this plot. Disgorged 04/25 - Dosage 2.5g/l.
HORS-SÉRIE 2020
100% Chardonnay
100% Chardonnay (12.5% alc.)
While the inaugural vintage of hors-série (2015) included 10% Chardonnay from ungrafted vines in Merfy, the following releases are exclusively from Avize GC. Alexandre rents 13 parcels mostly located on the lower slopes, with shallow topsoil ranging from 20cm to 1m deep over the Campanian chalk bedrock. Their southeast exposure ensures the grapes reach a high level of maturity, often golden in appearance by harvest time, lending the wine both texture and mineral bite. 2020 yielded limited amounts of ripe, concentrated grapes and the wine shows this in its tropical exuberance, volume, and silky texture, backed by refreshing acidity and a sapid backbone. A gorgeous wine. Disg. 07/25 - Dosage 1g/l.