I discovered Coteaux Champenois wines when I moved to the Champagne region of France. Not many people are familiar with it, but it has been gaining traction with sommeliers in recent years. It is special to me because it is something that my boyfriend and I have been discovering together, and I am completely in love with it. With that being said, I am delighted to share that the secret is out: I had the opportunity to share this favourite wine of mine with the world in the April 2024 Pinot Noir Issue of Wine Enthusiast! You can read the digital version here.
A big thank you to my editors, John and Sara, for their hard work and advice. Also for sending me physical copies of Wine Enthusiast magazine — they are a lot harder to find in France than I expected! Thank you to Erica Duecy for your mentorship at the Wine Writers’ Symposium earlier this year, as well as to the other fellows and speakers for your advice. Of course, a special thank you goes to Jean-Baptiste, Elise, Benoit, and Franck for taking time to speak with me about these wines. This really is an article from the heart with a lot of work behind it!
I also wanted to share a longer version of the article here. It is one of the original edits that includes a lot of extra research that I did. This version offers a more complete look into this wine category, including more quotes, history, and information overall. I hope this sparks an interest in these fantastic wines. Enjoy!
The Little Known Wine from France That’s Enchanting Sommeliers
While the sparkling wines of Champagne are arguably some of the most famous wines in the world, this region is also home to little known still wines. Coteaux Champenois, as they have been officially named since acquiring AOC status in 1974, have rivaled their more well-known neighbors in Burgundy for centuries. As bubbly became the star of the region, Coteaux seemingly dropped off the map half a century ago.
Production today is so small that the wine region’s governing body, Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC), does not even record official numbers. They estimate that still wines only account for 0.3% of the total production in the region.
But something revolutionary has been taking place in Champagne. These forgotten wines are undergoing a renaissance that has captured the attention of some of France’s top sommeliers. Now, you can find Coteaux Champenois on some of the most prestigious tables in the world.
Yet, despite its limited availability, something revolutionary has been taking place in Champagne. These forgotten wines are undergoing a renaissance. A new generation of winemakers have switched their focus toward creating unique, high-quality bottles that have been enchanting sommeliers.
“It is already making its way to the top tables,” says Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy, renowned winemaker and vineyard pioneer of Champagne Geoffroy.
Coteaux Champenois has been increasingly turning up on prestigious wine lists around France and beyond. Highly coveted Egly-Ouriet Coteaux Champenois Rouge is on the wine list at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry in Napa Valley. Michelin-starred Sergeant Recruteur in Paris boasts a wide selection including extremely limited Coteaux Champenois made from Champagne Coessens Largillier vineyard. Reims’ three-Michelin Star restaurant, L’Assiette Champenoise, even has its own special assemblages made for them such as a Bouzy Blanc by Champagne Brice as well as several other cuvées from other producers.
Now, here’s everything you need to know about the lesser-known wines of Champagne.
Coteaux Champenois 101
Before digging into Coteaux Champenois’s newfound popularity, let’s start with the basics. Red, white and rosé, any of Champagne’s seven grape varieties can go into these wines. However, like their effervescent counterparts, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or, more rarely, Pinot Meunier are the main ingredients. Unlike other still wines in France, they can be non–vintage. Bouzy, Ambonnay, Aÿ, Cumières, Mailly, and Verzy are particularly famous for their Pinot-Noir based reds. Les Riceys is renown for its rosés.
These still wines have been produced in Champagne for centuries. Dating back to the Romans, the region was primarily known for still red Pinot Noir-based wines. These lively reds competed with Burgundy for the goblets of Parisian high society. Although they lacked the complexities and elegance of modern-day Coteaux Champenois, they were a favourite of the former Kings of France. They were, in fact, traditionally served at coronations since Clovis, the first French king, in 481. Henri IV was particularly fond of these reds. Their popularity increased in the royal courts of France, England and Spain during the 17th century.
Back in the day, Champagne was not celebrated for its white wines. Whites made from white grapes (not necessarily Chardonnay since anything could be planted here at the time) were bland and spoiled quickly. Instead, wine makers in the 16th century started experimenting with red grapes for white wine. This is due to their more aromatic profiles and longevity. This is a tradition that is still carried on today in the region! However, the precursor wines were a rather unappetizing shade of grey, then known as “vin gris” rather than the yellow and golden colours of today.
Even after sparkling wine bubbled over the region in the 18th century, still red wines remained remarkably popular, accounting for 90% of the wines produced in Champagne.
The Rise of Bubbles
Several factors led to the decline in popularity and production of these still wines.
To start, the industrialization of the méthode champenoise to create effervescence was a game changer. This facilitated production to meet increasing demands in France and abroad. During the Industrial Revolution, the creation of new Champagne-making technology meant that bubbly quality became more consistent, bottles and corks became more reliable (fewer explosions in cellars due to faulty bottles and less carbon dioxide escaping from the corks), and production more financially feasible. By the end of the 19th century, these bubbly wines of Champagne had taken over popular culture by storm. It started with the Parisian elite and spread across England, Russia and even as far as North America. Marketing campaigns during the time made this wine a “taste of the good life” for the middle class. This increased its popularity even more.
Around the same time, the severe cold temperatures blasted the Champagne region. This negatively affected the quality and reputation of the local red wines, which were more appreciated than the whites. Given this drop in the thermostat, the region’s winemakers increasingly changed their focus to sparkling wines, which are made with higher acid, lower alcohol grapes that are picked before reaching full maturity.
Just as temperature shifts prompted the switch away from still wines in Champagne back in the 17th century, it’s also part of the reason producers are now moving back. “Climate change is a big factor,” says Geoffroy. “Phenolic maturity has increased, improving the quality of the wines.”
Whereas the original still reds of Champagne did not have much ageing potential, that’s no longer the case these days. The red Pinot Noirs of Bouzy, for example, are famous for their distinctive and elegant cherry aromas and an ability to age up to a decade.
But even with rising temperatures, Champagne is still considered a cool climate growing region. This is helping winemakers to produce wines that fall in line with current consumer drinking trends. “One of Champagne’s great assets is the ability to produce still wines with low alcohol content,” says Master Sommelier Franck Ramage, co-founder of Kira Consultants. “The result is wines that are fresher, easier to digest and more pleasant to drink.”
Winning Over Sommeliers
Changing climate and consumer preferences aside, this new era of Coteaux Champenois has piqued the interest of sommeliers for a number of reasons.
As classical wines, such as Burgundies, are reaching sky-high prices, sommeliers are looking for alternatives that align with guests’ needs. Coteaux Champenois fits the bill for terroir-focused wines crafted by small producers. “Coteaux Champenois is the most faithful expression of the grapes and terroir,” says Benoît Marguet, head of the trailblazing biodynamic Champagne Marguet in Ambonnay.
“In people’s minds, there’s no reference point we’re much freer to use our terroir as we wish. With the know-how we need,” says award-winning winemaker, Elise Bougy of Champagne Elise Bougy. “There’s a much more artistic side to everything we can do.”
Breaking the longstanding codes of the region has been a major theme of these up-and-coming Coteaux Champenois producers. Many are experimenting with single-vintage, single-variety and single-parcel selections that mimic what is being done in regions across the globe. “We have a whole new generation of winegrowers who have travelled all over the world,” says Ramage. “They have a much broader vision than what has been produced in Champagne for decades.”
For a long time, the still wines from Champagne were not even available to the public. They were just part of the sparkling wine-making process as vins clairs, the predecessors to bubbles. Reds were mainly produced for sparkling rosé production. And if winemakers wanted to drink it, it was only enjoyed privately with family and friends as their “vin de table.” Now, not only are these wines more widely available, but producers are dedicating exceptional vineyard plots to still wine production.
Unlike other regions in France, these still wines don’t have to have a vintage (Champagne is the only appellation that allows this in France). And red grapes (Pinot Noir and Meunier) can produce red wines. Don’t worry, these aren’t like the original grey wines of yore. Expect beautifully pale yellow to deep golden in colours with enticing aromas.
“Indeed, the quality of Champagne’s still wines has increased so much that today, these wines made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay can be enjoyed in the same way as those enjoyed in Burgundy or other regions,” says Ramage.
Looking Ahead
As Benoit Marguet says, “these still wines are not an afterthought—they are intentional”.
Little by little, this new generation of winemakers is delivering on furthering the quality and volume of production for Coteaux Champenois. They aren’t shy about devoting more acreage to still wine production (which requires different vineyard management techniques). Even experimenting with new vinification methods such as whole bunch versus individual berry maceration, changing débourbage techniques, and some producers are using Georgian amphorae for fermenting. The resulting wines offer a wide range of styles that can appease any palate or food pairing.
“What I find quite fascinating is that a sommelier can pair a whole meal out of a terroir and understand what its soul really is,” remarks Bougy. “Consumers can enjoy one parcel in several different ways. What an opportunity to create this mosaic of wines from a single plot!”
And as more of these makers continue to hone their craft, expect to find more of these unique wines in restaurants across France and around the world. Wine-lovers can not only expect more choice, but also a true taste of Champagne’s unique terroir, unmasked by bubbles. An updated taste of the Royal Courts of France. “We need something that excites us a little more than the ultra-traditional,” says Ramage.
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