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Cramant Grand Cru according to Charles Curtis

Picture of Charles Curtis

Charles Curtis

Cramant was classed as one of two grand cru villages in the Côte des Blancs in the original 1911 échelle des crus (along with Avize). The village is located north of Avize and south of Chouilly. To understand the complex terroir of Cramant, it helps to understand a bit about the geology of the Côte des Blancs. In geological terms, the Côte des Blancs is a cuesta within the much larger region of the Paris Basin. A cuesta is a hill that is formed where softer sedimentary rock is topped with a hard layer of rock known as the ‘capstone’. As the softer sedimentary rock erodes, it leaves a slope (‘côte’ in French) on one side of the formation, normally where the capstone has been fractured by geologic activity. This slope steeper slope is called an escarpment. Some of the vines in Cramant are planted on the east-facing escarpments of this cuesta.

Others vineyards in Cramant line the Butte de Saran. The Butte de Saran is what is known in geological terms as an ‘outlier,’ a freestanding hill that has been separated from the main part of a cuesta by erosion. The village of Cramant itself is nestled in the small valley that lies between the cuesta and the butte. At the risk of over-simplifying, we will divide the vineyards of Cramant into those on the western edge of the village, those east of the village, and those that wrap around the base of the Butte de Saran. The exposure of the vines in each of these places is varied, so there will be some further subdivisions.

The first section of vines is found mostly to the west of the D10 road. These are the vines that are on the slopes of the ‘Côte de Blancs proper’ which we will refer to by its geological name of of Cuis, where the slopes face northeast. These are cooler sites, and the wines can resemble those produced in Cuis. We will refer to these vineyards as ‘Cuesta North’ (Cuesta Nord). The second part of this section is also west of the D10, but further south, closer to Avize. Here the Côte swings around, and the vines face east-southeast, pro- ducing a warmer terroir. We will call these the ‘Cuesta South’ section (Cuesta Sud), where there are two fairly large lieux-dits here, Le Luth and Les Vignes de Mardu.

Both of these sections face the vineyards on the slopes above the village on the southwest-facing slopes of the Butte de Saran on the other side of the D10 road. Vines carpet the slopes of the butte all Chouilly and are not included here. The group that are behind and above the village of Cramant itself we refer to as ‘Saran Southwest’ face South (Saran), southeast (Blanchard) and more east (Rochelet and Vigneux), ‘Saran Southeast’ (Saran Sud-Est). Here we will also include the lieux-dits Bouron du Midi and Bouron Leroy that form the base for Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs. These have amore southern exposure, giving lovely ripeness to the fruit. Between Bourons du Midi and Les Busons is Bouron du Levant with a slightly more eastern exposure. This is the source of Larmandier-Bernier’s Vieille Vigne du Levant.

The largest section of vines lies to the east of the village, extending to the border of grand cru Oiry. Anselme Selosse, acclaimed pro- prietor of Champagne Jacques Selosse, pointed out to me that the chalk forms east-west ridges in this section as a result of the process while holding water and then thawed, causing it to fracture and break apart (gelifraction). This crushed chalk then moved slowly down the ridges run west to east, and thus have slopes that slightly tilted to the with the lieux-dits Le Gros Mont and Au-dessus du Gros Mont, and terminates in Sur les Gros Monts in Oiry. Guillaume Selosse (son of Anselme) produces a parcellaire from his vines in Au-dessus du Gros Mont. We also include in this section several lieux-dits north of this ridge that are on the border with Chouilly such as Le Bateau, where by Selosse includes Les Busons and Les Bionnes, and ends with Le Champ Braux in Oiry. Les Bionnes is one of the important vineyards for G.H. Mumm and is often included in their RSRV Cuvée Lalou. We will call this section ‘Centre-East’ (Centre-Est).

The largest section of vines east of the village we will simply call which stretches from the various ‘Pimonts’ lieux-dits and ends with Le Chemin de Châlons and La Haute Borne in Oiry. This is where Selosse owns the vines that produce his elusive Chemin de Châlons bottling, produced in minute quantities. At the risk of oversimpli- fying, we will also include in ‘South’ section a number of interesting lieux-dits, such as Les Gouttes d’Or and Les Grandes Plantes which face the ridge of the ‘Pimonts,’ and those on the other side, along the border with Avize, which include Les Cartelats and Les Robarts, where Suenen produces a parcellaire.

LIEUX-DITS

NORTH-EAST « NORD-EST » 
AU-DESSUS DU GROS MONTPLANTED
LE BATEAUPLANTED
LES BUISSONSPLANTED
LES BUISSONS DU COUCHANT PLANTED
LES BUISSONS DU LEVANT PLANTED
LES BUISSONS DU MIDI PLANTED
LE GROS MONTPLANTED
ROUGE PERTEPLANTED
LES TERRES DES BUISSONS PLANTED
CENTER-EAST « CENTRE-EST »
LES BIONNES PARTLY PLANTED 
LES BUZONSPARTLY PLANTED 
CUESTA NORTH « CUESTA NORD » 
LE BAS DE LA CÔTE PARTLY PLANTED 
LES BAS MARTELOTS PARTLY PLANTED 
LES BASSES CRAYERES PARTLY PLANTED 
LA CÔTEPARTLY PLANTED 
LA CRAYÈREPARTLY PLANTED 
LE FOND DES CHARMIÈRES PLANTED 
LA GARENNEPARTLY PLANTED 
LE GRAND PRÉPARTLY PLANTED 
LES MARECHAUDESPLANTED 
LES MARTELOTS DU HAUTPLANTED 
MOYENS DU COUCHANT PARTLY PLANTED 
MOYENS DU LEVANT PLANTED 
LES PISSES LOUPSPARTLY PLANTED 
LES PONGEONS PLANTED 
LES RICYS PLANTED 
CUESTA SOUTH « CUESTA SUD » 
LE LUTHPARTLY PLANTED 
LE PATIS DU CôTE DE CRAMANTPARTLY PLANTED 
LES VIGNES DE MARDU PARTLY PLANTED 
SARAN SOUTH-EAST « SARAN SUD-EST » 
BLANCHARDPLANTED 
BOURON LEROI PLANTED 
BOURON DU LEVANT PLANTED 
BOURON DU MIDIPLANTED 
LA CROIX DE CRAMANT PLANTED 
ROCHELETPLANTED 
SARANPLANTED 
VIGNEUX PLANTED 
SARAN SOUTH-WEST « SARAN SUD-OUEST » 
LE BAS DES ORMESPARTLY PLANTED 
LES CHAMPS DU SOLEIL PARTLY PLANTED 
LA CROIX SABLONNIÈRE PARTLY PLANTED 
LES LONGUES VERGES PARTLY PLANTED 
LES MARAISPARTLY PLANTED 
LES MARMOUZES PARTLY PLANTED 
SOUTH « SUD » 
LES BAGRELLESPLANTED 
LES BARIOTTESPLANTED 
LES BAS BOURONSPLANTED 
LES BAS MARDUSPLANTED 
LES BASSES CROIXPLANTED 
LES BASSES FOURCHES PLANTED 
LE BATEAU PLANTED 
LES BAUVESPLANTED 
LES BERGERIES AU COUCHANT PLANTED 
LES BERGERIES AU LEVANT PLANTED 
LES BOURONSPLANTED 
LES CARTELATSPLANTED 
LES CHAMPS DU PREVOTPLANTED 
LE CHEMIN DE CHÂLONSPLANTED 
LES CHENELOTSPARTLY PLANTED 
LES CHIQUÉESPLANTED 
LA CROIX DES BAYONNESPLANTED 
LES FOLIESPLANTED 
LA FONTAINE DES CROCHETS PARTLY PLANTED 
LES FOURCHES DU LEVANT PLANTED 
LES FOURCHES DU MIDIPLANTED 
LES FOURCHES DU NORDPLANTED 
LES FROMATTESPLANTED 
LES GOUTTES D’ORPLANTED 
LES GRANDES PLANTESPLANTED 
LES HAUTES BAUVESPLANTED 
LES HAUTES BERGERIESPLANTED 
LES HAUTS PIMONTSPLANTED 
LES MIREAUXPARTLY PLANTED 
LA NOUE DE GÉNIE PLANTED 
LES PAYENNESPLANTED 
LES PERTHESPLANTED 
LES PIMONTS DU LEVANT PLANTED 
LES PIMONTS DU MIDI PLANTED 
LES ROBARTSPLANTED 
LES ROUILLEESPARTLY PLANTED 
LE VILLAGEPARTLY PLANTED 
LA VOIE DE CHOUILLYPLANTED 
LA VOIE D’EPERNAY PLANTED 

NEGOCIANTS

Of the larger négociants, Perrier-Jouët and Mumm both have important holdings in Cramant.

PRODUCERS BASED IN THE VILLAGE:

BERTIN & FILS

64 rue Saint Gibrien 51530 Cramant
06 07 67 00 26

BONNAIRE

120 Rue d’Epernay 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 50 85

BONNINGRE-DURAND

67 Rue Saint-Gibrien 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 59 99

BOULET-LEMAIRE

41 Avenue du 8 Mai 1945 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 99 61

BULLIER-COLLET

Rue du 8 Mai 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 56 54

POL-JACQUES COLLARD

312 Rue du 8 Mai 1945 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 93 55

COMTE-PELLERIN

8 Allée des Acacias 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 57 26

COURTOIS-CAMUS

270 rue du 8 Mai 1945 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 91 18

CRÉPAUX-COURTOIS

113 rue de la Noue 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 56 38

CRÉPAUX FILS

25 rue Ferdinand Moret 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 50 61

CAMILLE DESHAUTELS

130 Rue de La Garenne 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 50 40

DHONDT-GRELLET

Le Vieux Moulin 51190 Flavigny

03 26 57 97 09

DIEBOLT-VALLOIS

84 rue Neuve 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 54 92

BENOÎT DIOT (AND DIOT-LEGRAS)

105 rue de Carrouge 51530 Cramant
03 26 52 76 89

GASPARD-CRÉPAUX

69 Rue de la Noue 51530 Cramant
03 26 58 08 00

PHILIPPE GLAVIER

82 Rue Nestor Gaunel 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 58 86

GUIBORAT FILS

99 rue de la Garenne 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 54 08

HURET-COLAS

17 rue de la Libération 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 54 44

ERIC ISSELÉE

350, rue des Grappes d’Or 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 54 96

ISSELÉE PERE ET FILS

233 rue des Grappes d’Or 51530 Cramant
09 74 56 91 82

LANCELOT-COURTOIS

375 Rue de la Libération 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 51 25

PHILIPPE LANCELOT
(AND LANCELOT-WANNER)

155 Allée de la Garenne 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 55 95

LANCELOT-PIENNE

1 place Pierre Rivière 51530 Cramant
03 26 59 99 86

PIERRE LANCELOT-ROYER

540 Rue du Général de Gaulle 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 51 41

PAUL LEBRUN

65 Rue Nestor Gaunel 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 54 88

PIERRE LOUIS LESAGE

401 Rue du Moutier 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 95 58

LILBERT-FILS

223 Rue du Moutier 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 50 16

MALLOL-GANTOIS

290 Rue du Général de Gaulle 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 96 14

GILBERT MORIZET

255, rue du Moutier 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 50 92

JOËL MORIZET

350 Rue de la Libération 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 52 77

MARC MORIZET

72 rue du Carrouge 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 50 93

BRUNO OYANCE

75 Rue du Péan 51530 Cramant

03 26 57 93 43

FRANÇOIS R. PATURE

41 Place Puisard 51530 Cramant 03 26 57 53 55

PERTOIS-LEBRUN

399 rue de la Libération 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 54 25

PETITJEAN-LIÉGÉ

85, rue de la Libération 51530 Cramant
03 26 53 80 15

PETITJEAN-PIENNE

4, allée des Bouleaux 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 58 26

CHAMPAGNE POPULUS-CAZENAVE

83 Rue du Carrouge 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 54 53

M. RICHOMME

306 rue de Moutier 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 52 93

SAINTGYBRYEN (COOPÉRATIVE VINICOLE DE CRAMANT)

59 rue du Mont Félix 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 50 72

SIMON-MICHELOT

15 et 28 rue Léon Bourgeois 51530 Cramant
03 26 52 64 29

SUENEN

53 rue de la Garenne 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 54 94

NOËL TESSIER

101 Rue de la Grande Côte 51530 Cramant
08 99 23 97 10

J. VIGNIER

65 Rue Nestor Gaunel 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 54 88

VOIRIN-JUMEL

555 rue de la Libération 51530 Cramant
03 26 57 55 82

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