History of the Chartogne-Taillet house
The village of Merfy is exceptionally well situated on the southern slopes of the Massif Saint-Thierry. Fiacre Taillet (1548-1576) was a winegrower in the village in the 15th century. The family's wine tradition therefore dates back to this period. His descendants : Fiacre, Laurent and Antoine, kept a register describing the conditions (geological, meteorological, political, cultural...) in which harvests took place. These documents continue to serve as a reference and are now held by the Reims archives.
In 1870, Oscar Chartogne settled in Merfy and acquired his first vineyards. His granddaughter, Marie Chartogne, married Etienne Taillet in 1920. It was then that the two families became linked.
The family tradition continues today with Philippe and Elisabeth. In 2006, their son Alexandre took over the business and gave it a new direction. He researches his ancestors' work and continues to put his own stamp on it. For example, he continues to keep the famous register. It's an invaluable mine of information that he offers to his territory. The Chartogne-Taillet family vineyard covers 11 hectares (the village has 45 hectares), made up of 4 grape varieties (chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier and arbanne). Alexandre's work is above all respectful of the land.
Alexandre Chartogne: a champagne enthusiast
" The essential is in the leaf, the fruit, the soil and the subsoil, while respecting the environment": Alexandre clearly states his convictions. He has unshakeable confidence in nature and its soils. A first layer of sand, then clay, then sand. Finesse and minerality are the keys to letting the vines express themselves. The champagne cuvées he works on are chemical-free and close to biodynamic methods.
Alexandre trained with Anselme Selosse. For a year, he was able to share not only his techniques but also his philosophy and values with this great name in champagne. As you can imagine, Alexandre's philosophy is simple: let nature take its course. He believes that the vine and the soil are largely responsible for the quality of the wine, and that this passionate winegrower loves his terroir, learning and evolving with respect and humility. We can only be delighted when we taste his champagnes. We can't resist presenting you our two favorites.
Cuvées Saint-Anne and Chemin de Reims
Cuvée Sainte-Anne Brut from Chartogne-Taillet
Saint-Anne is the patron saint of Merfy. This cuvée is therefore a tribute to the terroir that gave birth to this champagne. This rich, powerful champagne has a pale color with light orange reflections. cuvée sainte-Anne is a non-vintage brut champagne with fruity notes. This year, it is a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% black grape varieties (mainly Pinot). The dosage is designed to rebalance the vigor of the bubbles without damaging the quality of the wine. Round, full-bodied and elegant. A splendid Brut sans année!
Cuvée Chemin de Reims
This cuvée is pale in color, with yellow reflections tending toward green. Cuvée Chemin de Reims from Chartogne Taillet is a blanc de blancs extra brut (4-5 grams of sugar/liter) that's round, full-bodied and generous. A beautiful champagne with an airy finish!
We advise you to discover these champagnes created with great talent. Alexandre Chartogne's values are evident in the 8 cuvées he produces each year with passion and respect for the Merfy terroir.
