Montagne de Reims: over the hill, north to south
One line across the whole Montagne, from the cool north flank at Ludes, over the forest, down to the sunny south flank at Bouzy. Tap a layer to read it.
Swipe the plate sideways to see the whole section.
Schematic: the Tertiary beds and the chalk contact follow the general Montagne de Reims sequence (BRGM sheets Reims and Épernay) and are to be checked against the 1:50,000 maps. The Belemnite/Micraster boundary is drawn as a gentle line; its real depth here is not measured. Huré's four 4 Éléments parcels are placed by commune, not survey, and drawn dashed: La Grosse Pierre and La Perthe in Ludes, Les Blanches Voies and Les Champs Pourceaux in Rilly-la-Montagne, about 1.4 km west of the line's north end. GPS for all four, and Savès's lieux-dits, still to come from the growers. Ground from AWS terrain data; Ludes and Bouzy sit within 40 m of the line, Louvois 0.4 km off it.
8 layers, youngest at the top
Single vineyards we pour from. Tap one on the plate.
Why two flanks taste different
- Bouzy faces south and catches the sun all day. Pinot Noir ripens fully, which is why Bouzy Rouge exists.
- Ludes faces mostly north. Ripening is slower, so the wines keep firm acid and a cooler line.
- Both sit on the same Campanian chalk; what changes is the light, and the clay that has washed over it.
- The forest on top shelters both flanks and sends cold air down the slopes on spring nights.
Did you knowThe Sparnacian clays hold seams of lignite. Growers once dug this ‘cendres noires’ from pits on the Montagne and spread it on the vineyards as fertiliser.
Pas Mal wines on this ground
Ludes, the north flank
- 4 Éléments Chardonnay Les Blanches VoiesHuré Frères
- 4 Éléments Meunier La Grosse PierreHuré Frères
- 4 Éléments Pinot Noir La PertheHuré Frères
- 4 Éléments Pinot Noir Les Champs PourceauxHuré Frères
- InattendueHuré Frères
- L'Insouciance Brut Rosé – 3.5gHuré Frères
- L'InstantanéeHuré Frères
- L'Instantanée Blanc de NoirsHuré Frères
- L'Instantanée Blanc de Noirs – 2gHuré Frères
- L'Invitation Brut Réserve – 375ml – 4gHuré Frères
- L'Invitation Brut Réserve – 4gHuré Frères
- L'Invitation Brut Réserve – Magnum – 4gHuré Frères
- L'Invitation Extra BrutHuré Frères
- Mémoire Extra Brut Réserve Solera – 2gHuré Frères
Bouzy, the south flank
- Carte Blanche Brut 1er Cru – 5gCamille Savès
- Cuvée Anaïs Jolicoeur Grand Cru – 5gCamille Savès
- Millésime Grand Cru Brut – 5g – 1500mlCamille Savès
- Rosé Grand Cru Brut – 7gCamille Savès
Sources: Comité Champagne, terroir and soil pages; AOC Champagne cahier des charges (water regulation by the chalk); BRGM 1:50,000 geological maps, sheets Reims and Épernay (notice 0132N); Peter Liem on the Montagne de Reims (Wine & Spirits); Becky Wasserman, Camille Savès vineyard notes; AWS Terrain Tiles; Becky Wasserman, Huré Frères 4 V / 4 Éléments notes; Skurnik, Vilmart Les Blanches Voies (location in Rilly).