Champagne grand cru is a Sparkling white wine produced in the vineyards of the Champagne region of northeastern France and more specifically in the wine regions of the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne, the Côte des Blancs, the Côte des Bar, the Côte de Sézanne and Vitry-le-François. Administratively, the Champagne grand cru can be produced in the departments of Marne, Aisne, Aube, Seine-et-Marne and Haute-Marne. Its vineyards benefit from a temperate-oceanic Climate with a continental influence and a Terroir made of limestone and marl soils. The Champagne Grand Cru wine can be made with the following main Grape varieties: Chardonnay B, Meunier N, Pinot N, Arbane B, Petit Meslier B, Pinot B.
(See all the grape varieties) The Champagne Grand Cru has the French label AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) and the European label AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée). It also has the "grand cru" label.
Arbane or arbanne is a very old white grape variety from the north/east of France, coming from the Aube and more precisely from the Champagne region. The Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins de Champagne wishes to preserve the use of traditional grape varieties of Champagne. The Arbane is a small bunch of grapes with small berries and a very sweet pulp, a late variety that needs sun and heat to concentrate all its sugars. It gives a wine rich in alcohol, elegant and nervous, with a floral nose and a nice acidity.
wines from the region of Champagne Grand Cru go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or shellfish such as recipes of eggs in meurette, pasta salmon - fresh cream or seafood pie.
On the nose in the region of Champagne Grand Cru often reveals types of flavors of non oak, earth or microbio and sometimes also flavors of oak, tree fruit or spices. In the mouth in the region of Champagne Grand Cru is a powerful with a nice vivacity and a fine and pleasant bubble.
