AOC. Côteaux Champenoise, France - 100% Pinot Noir from the "Chéres Vignes" vineyard (lieu-dit) located near the village of Montgueaux. The grapes are destemmed, gently pressed, and aged in oak barrels for one year. Finally, it is bottled without the addition of sulfites. This is a smooth Pinot Noir with notes of red fruit and a pronounced limestone minerality. On the palate, it is pure and elegant. A wine with superb acidity and a long, mineral finish.
Jacques Lassaigne Côteaux Champenois Rouge “Chères Vignes” 2020 is one of the purest and rarest expressions of Pinot Noir in Champagne, produced within the Côteaux Champenois AOC, the region's appellation for still wines. It comes from a single plot located in Montgueux, a limestone hill south of the Côte des Bar, known for its chalk soils and exceptional ability to convey minerality and precision.
The wine originates from old Pinot Noir vines cultivated on soils rich in chalk, which impart a marked tension and a remarkably refined aromatic profile. Vinification is carried out using traditional methods, with spontaneous fermentation and aging in neutral oak barrels that fully respect the terroir's identity, avoiding any intervention that might mask the vineyard's expression.
In the glass, Chères Vignes 2020 displays a light and bright ruby red color. The nose is delicate yet profound, with aromas of fresh raspberry, tart cherry, and red currant, accompanied by floral notes, gentle spices, and a distinctly chalky background reminiscent of damp chalk. Its profile is closer to the elegance of great cool-climate Pinot Noirs than to power.
On the palate, it is a wine with a fine texture and ethereal profile, with delicate tannins, vibrant acidity, and a great sense of purity. The passage is light yet structured, with a constant mineral tension that lends length and precision. The finish is dry, saline, and very elegant, with echoes of fresh red fruit and damp stone.
This Côteaux Champenois Rouge represents the lesser-known side of Champagne: still wines of enormous personality, where the chalky terroir of Montgueux expresses itself with extraordinary purity through Pinot Noir, in a refined, subtle, and profoundly gastronomic style.
