Grape
Arbane
Rare white grape of Champagne, less than 0.3 percent of plantings. Late-ripening, high acidity. Preserved by a handful of growers in the Aube.
What it is
Arbane (also Arbanne) is one of Champagne’s seven officially authorised grapes, and one of the four near-extinct “forgotten” varieties. Less than one hectare existed around the year 2000. Today it is roughly five hectares, most of it in the Aube. Historically present for centuries, banned for new plantings from 1938, re-authorised in 2000.
Where it grows
Almost exclusively in the Côte des Bar. Lucien Moutard of Champagne Moutard replanted Arbane in 1952 from his own nursery stock and effectively saved the variety from extinction. Other growers with Arbane plantings include Aubry (Montagne de Reims), Laherte Frères (Vallée de la Marne, in their “Les 7” plot) and Drappier (Aube, in the Quattuor cuvée). A vineyard needs clay-limestone soil and a cool microclimate.
Ripening and risk
Late budbreak and late ripening, low yields, susceptible to fungal disease. Exactly the traits that pushed it out commercially in the first place. Climate change reframes those traits as advantages: in warmer summers, Arbane keeps its high acidity where Chardonnay and Pinot Noir lose theirs.
In the glass
Cutting, vibrant acidity. Herbal, sometimes resinous (pine, tarragon, lemon). Light body, fine florals. Not a grape for power-seekers; very much a grape for those who chase tension and length.
Role in the blend
Almost always a small percentage in so-called sept-cépages cuvées (all seven Champagne grapes together), such as Aubry’s Brut Premier Cru and Laherte’s Les 7. Drappier’s Quattuor blends it with Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. Mono-varietal Arbane is a collector’s item.
Grows in