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CHAMPAGNE
TERROIR
EDOUARD, SYLVIE AND MICHEL AT CHAMPAGNE LANCELOT-ROYER
that production in these villages is insufficient for
the required volumes. The houses therefore blend
them with grapes from other growths which lend
the Champagnes complementary qualities.
However, the winegrowers who produce their own
Champagnes and are fortunate enough to own
vineyards in Grands Crus villages often use the
statement. Some of them also sell some of their
Grands Crus grapes to the Champagne houses,
which are always sold at a premium compared
with fruit from other villages. Nobody now denies
the superior quality of some vineyard sites, but
only a few producers publicise those sites. The
villages ranking at the pinnacle of the quality
pyramid are Ambonnay, Aÿ, Beaumont sur Vesle,
Bouzy, Louvois, Mailly-Champagne, Puisieulx,
Sillery, Tours-sur-Marne, Verzenay, Verzy, Avize,
Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger and
Oiry. That’s for the definition part, now let’s head
off on our road trip to visit Champagne’s elite
producers.
CRAMANT- CHAMPAGNE
P. LANCELOT-ROYER
Michel Chauvet, Sylvie Lancelot’s husband, introduces
us to this Champagne house located in the
village of Cramant, in the Côte des Blancs. Both of
them are fifth-generation winegrowers and their
son Edouard Chauvet will take over from them.
They farm 5.3 hectares of vines, including 3 classified
Grand Cru in Cramant, along with Avize and
Oger. It stands to reason that they only produce
‘blanc de blancs’.
As a reminder, Chauvet explains that the name
‘Cramant’ comes from ‘chalk’, at the root of Grand
Cru status. Although the first 50 cm is earth, the
vines then put down roots deep into the chalk,
which is highly beneficial as evidenced by the
summer of 2022. Though hot and dry, the weather
did not cause too much suffering for their Grand
Cru vines – limestone is spongy and water is
retained through capillarity.
They produce a 100% Cramant vintage Champagne
which spends 7 years in their cellars. The 2015 label
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14 WINTER 2022 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE