Champagne Autréau de Champillon

With the Champagne classification located within strict 32,000 hectares of vineyard area, along with some 16,000 grape growers of which there are over 2,000 Champagne names producing 50,000 different labels then you can certainly be lost in translation when it comes to discovering and selling. What though helps us is the popularity of Champagne, the global fan base it has and its more or less ever popular positioning when it comes to buyers looking for bubbles in their wines.

Approximately 300 million bottles of Champagne are produced annually with much of this amount heading its way outside of France to fuel the demand that includes big volume buyers of UK, USA and Japan (3 billion euro export value). Most occasions when we spot Champagne for sale, be it in stores or at bars/restaurants, we see the big names such as Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Dom Pérignon and more. Lesser times we see and experience grower Champagnes which will be names we have not heard of and made by smaller houses that have anywhere up to 30 hectares of vineyards and sometimes producing annual numbers of under 10,000 bottles.

You can certainly spend a lifetime discovering Champagne labels and have the greatest time if you plan to visit the region and the wineries themselves… so many winemakers, many cellars, endless labels to discover including rare and older vintages hidden away in dark corners of damp chalk rooms deep underground…

To save yourself time you can research the work of wine journalists, especially online, who can give you credible information on up and coming Champagne labels saving you much time and energy as well as sometimes giving you unique offers and discounts via promotions.

“Another great way to experience some of the lesser known labels of which many are not available in the UK, is to take a trip to the Champagne region itself. The delightful villages and towns are awash of Champagne houses from big to small, as you take lazy afternoon drives you will pass by many of which you can stop at, taste their cuvees (some may charge a small fee) and buy directly from the winemaker themselves… Many hidden treasures are found this way and also, many warm, life long relationships made.”

If your destination is the northern part of the Champagne region and Epernay, then just a few km’s north would be Champillon… Here is the opportunity to discover a Champagne house offering a range of vineyards (35 hectares) located in the following villages : Champillon, Dizy and Hautvillers (Premiers Crus) and Chouilly and Aÿ (Grands Crus). Champagne Autréau de Champillon, current winemaker Laurent Autréau, is a winery that is located in Champillon which is a Champagne village directly north of Epernay. A multi award winning winery that has seen much investment in recent years and a huge expansion and growth in production and global sales… They are certainly turning heads.

“Since 1670, the Autréau’s family perpetuated on the heights of Champillon a subtle alliance of tradition and modernity. Champagne is eternal, it is passed on year after year, generation after generation in a perpetual quest for excellence. Generation Champagne is also a tribute to all those who love like you to celebrate together the great moments of the life.”

Our live tasting:

 

Champagne Autréau de Champillon – Extra Brut NV Premier Cru: “Wonderful pastry, citrus, soft white pepper notes on the nose. Dry, acidic flavours with citrus, minerals, touch of lightly toasted bread.”

Champagne Autréau de Champillon – Cuvée 1670 Grand Cru Vintage 2012: “Trophy winner in the Fireworks Category at the 2020 Glass of Bubbly Awards. Citrus, creamy pastry on the nose (lemon drizzle cake), salty toastiness also. Clean and clear style of Champagne, citrus, good acidity, touch of toasty / sea breeze in flavours. As the wine stays in the glass a finer yellow stone fruits and pastry effect come in to play.“