Champagne Region (Reims)

A stylish restaurant serving fusion cuisine. We were very happy with the fish. Food prices were reasonable, although the Champagne prices were slightly higher than at similar restaurants.

A pleasant atmosphere and a good Champagne menu. The food selection was somewhat limited.

An excellent place. Although the kitchen had already closed and only cold plates were supposed to be available, the owner kindly prepared pasta for us, and it was delicious. Both the food and wine selection were very good. The owner was also one of the most attentive and polite people we encountered in France.

A nice bar, but there was no wine by the glass when we visited. The food was mostly snacks. The salad was too salty for us, but we liked the finger croque, and the staff were attentive.

The rooms were small but practical and warm. Everything else went wrong. The key cards did not work, reception was not always staffed, the breakfast room had nowhere to sit, and the elevators could not cope with the crowds. The detergents irritated us, and smoke from the smoking area by the entrance drifted inside.

A very well-designed Champagne museum in Aÿ. The interactive displays, videos, and overall presentation are excellent. The information is mostly introductory, but even someone already familiar with the subject can enjoy the visit purely for its visual design and atmosphere. The experience ends with a tasting of two Champagnes overlooking the vineyards.

The facility and tour were excellent. The cellars descend approximately 24 to 25 metres underground and extend through a 24-kilometre network carved into the chalk. The crayères were originally separate quarries and were later connected by opening passages between them. Anyone familiar with Champagne production or who has watched the brand’s film will already know much of the information presented, but seeing the cellars in person is worthwhile on its own. There were three or four tours running simultaneously during our visit, so it was extremely crowded.

An excellent producer whose wines are distinctive and genuinely different from one another. The value for money is also very good. Definitely worth visiting.

They produce 12 different labels, each with a distinct profile. We were told that they make approximately 270,000 bottles per year from 27 hectares of vineyards. They have two presses, one of which is reserved for biodynamic production so that the two production streams are not mixed. We mainly tasted Blanc de Blancs, but the differences between the wines were remarkable: some had no oak influence, some were fully aged in oak, while another had 50% oak influence and spent 72 months on the lees. Some bottles are also aged under cork rather than a traditional crown cap, allowing controlled oxygen exposure to create a different profile. With such an attentive and knowledgeable team, this is definitely not a producer to miss.

At the Hautvillers tasting, they told us they produced around 600,000 bottles a year. That sounded like an impressive scale, but the style of the Champagnes did not appeal to us.

Their style did not really suit us. Even the premium Champagnes were not especially enjoyable for our tastes. Being right in the center was convenient, with tastings by reservation and sometimes on a walk-in basis. They also offered a paid sabrage experience, which could be a reason to stop by in its own right.