Côteaux Sud d’Épernay

Key facts

Located in: Vallée de la Marne
Vineyards and grape varieties: 1265.7 hectares (3127.6 acres), of which 46.7% Pinot Meunier, 40.9% Chardonnay, and 12.3% Pinot Noir.
Villages and classification: 11 villages, of which 1 premier cru (Pierry) and 10 “autre cru”.
Noted for: Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.

Villages in the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay

• Brugny-Vaudancourt: 77.7 ha (23% Ch / 73% PM / 4% PN), autre cru (86%)
• Chavot-Courcourt: 125.6 ha (44% Ch / 51% PM / 5% PN), autre cru (88%)
• Épernay: 256.2 ha (59% Ch / 16% PM / 24% PN), autre cru (88%)
• Mancy: 188.6 ha (52% Ch / 42% PM / 6% PN), autre cru (88%)
• Monthelon: 103.4 ha (51% Ch / 43% PM / 6% PN), autre cru (88%)
• Morangis: 23.6 ha (52% Ch / 41% PM / 7% PN), autre cru (84%)
• Moslins: 14.7 ha (58% Ch / 33% PM / 9% PN), autre cru (84%)
• Moussy: 136.1 ha (30% Ch / 61% PM / 8% PN), autre cru (88%)
• Pierry: 109.4 ha (32% Ch / 50% PM / 18% PN), premier cru (90%)
• Saint-Martin-d’Ablois: 82.6 ha (9% Ch / 81% PM / 10% PN), autre cru (86%)
• Vinay: 147.8 ha (26% Ch / 58% PM / 16% PN), autre cru (86%)

Map

Google Maps view with the villages in the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay highlighted. The premier cru village is in yellow, and the autre cru villages in orange.

A neat sketch of the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay where also the topography can also be seen. The orange-coloured areas represent the vineyards. The picture belongs to the Union des Maisons de Champagne, and is linked from an archive of an older version of their web page describing the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay.

Neighbouring areas

North (opposite side of the Marne): Grande Vallée de la Marne
West (same side of the Marne): Vallée de la Marne Rive Gauche
East: Côte des Blancs

Description

Le Cubry inside Épernay. Picture linked from Wikimedia Commons (photo sand, 2007).

Côteaux Sud d’Épernay is one of the 17 areas (“terroirs”) that the Champagne wine region is divided into, at least in the scheme used by the Union de Maisons de Champagne (UMC). These 17 areas are then grouped into four subregions, of which the Vallée de la Marne is one.

Côteaux Sud d’Épernay is located on the left bank of the Marne river, and encompasses the slopes (coteaux) south of (sud de) Épernay, as well as those that surround Épernay itself. These slopes are formed by the streams Le Cubry, Le Darcy, and Le Mancy. Le Cubry empties into the Marne river at Épernay, and forms the valley that runs to the southwest and further west to Saint-Martin-d’Ablois. Inside Épernay, Le Cubry is covered-over to a large extent. Le Darcy is a tributary of Le Cubry that empties into the latter at Pierry, and that arrives there from the south and further away from the southeast. Le Mancy is a tributary of Le Darcy that empties into it in the northern part of the Mancy commune, and that arrives there from southsouthwest.

The church of Saint-Martin-d’Ablois, Église Saint-Martin, surrounded by vineyards. Picture linked from Wikimedia Commons (photo Mairiesaintmartindablois, 2010).

The southern part of the area, around Le Mancy and Le Darcy, is also the “back side” of the Côte des Blancs. Le Darcy originates in the forest area above the Côte des Blancs slope proper, and this stream runs through the Grauves commune (which is part of the Côte des Blancs) before it enters the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay area. Grauves is sometimes considered part of the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay rather than the Côte des Blancs, but not in the UMC scheme used here.

There is one premier cru village in the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay, Pierry, which is the closest neighbour of Épernay to the south. There are no grand cru villages, and all the rest are “autres crus”.

The proportion of grape varieties found here is in-between that found in the other areas on the left bank of Marne, and that found in the Côte des Blancs. Pinot Meunier is the most common variety at 46.7%, but Chardonnay is not far behind at 40.9%. Chardonnay is the most common variety in five communes, and Pinot Meunier in six communes. Somewhat simplified, it can be said that Chardonnay is the most common in Épernay and in the valleys of Le Mancys and Le Darcys, i.e. in the north and east, while Pinot Meunier is the most common in the valley of Le Cubrys (excluding Épernay), i.e., the centre and west.

A church in Chavot-Courcourt, Église Saint-Martin, surrounded by vineyards and with the village in the background. Picture linked from Wikimedia Commons (photo Monalixa, 2009).

Vineyards

The current vineyard surface in the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay (as of 2013 according to CIVC) is 1265.7 ha (3127.6 acres), distributed over 878 vineyard owners (exploitants) in the 11 villages. There are 591.4 ha Pinot Meunier (46.7%), 518.3 ha Chardonnay (40.9%), and 155.1 ha Pinot Noir (12.3%).

Links

• UMC’s profile of Côteaux Sud d’Épernay.
  • Archived older version of UMC’s profile of Côteaux Sud d’Épernay.
• Website of the organisation Les Coteaux Sud d’Épernay, including tourist information.
  • List of Champagne producers in the area.

Vineyards in Épernay. The vineyards in the foreground are locate to the west of the city, and in the background Mont Bernon (with buildings, vineyards, and a forested summit) is visible. Picture linked from Wikimedia Commons (photo sand, 2007).

© Tomas Eriksson 2015, last update 2015-11-14