Region
Bouzy
Grand Cru village on the southern Montagne de Reims. 378 hectares, 87 percent Pinot Noir. Known for Bouzy Rouge, a still red Coteaux Champenois.
What it is
Bouzy is one of Champagne’s seventeen Grand Cru villages, set on the south-facing slopes of the Montagne de Reims. Around 378 hectares of vineyard. Plantings: 87 percent Pinot Noir, 12 percent Chardonnay, a negligible share of Meunier. The most outspoken Pinot Noir village of northern Champagne.
Soil and aspect
Southeast-facing slopes on clay-rich chalk and marl. Excellent sun exposure, more growing-degree days than the north-facing Grand Cru villages on the Montagne. The result: riper Pinot Noir with more body and roundness.
Bouzy Rouge
Bouzy has a second face: a still red wine under the Coteaux Champenois AOC. One of the few villages where the still version is still commercially made. 100 percent Pinot Noir, light structure, red fruit and a herbal touch. Not a great wine, but a worthwhile curiosity.
Producers
- Pierre Paillard: grower with Bouzy Grand Cru cuvées
- Egly-Ouriet: one of the leading Bouzy growers, mineral and powerful
- André Clouet: explicitly Pinot Noir-oriented
- Bollinger: sources Bouzy fruit for the blends of Special Cuvée and La Grande Année
In the glass
Champagne from Bouzy: ripe red fruit (cherry, raspberry), wide palate, a herbal hint, structured body. Less vertical than Verzenay (north), more fruit and power. Sought-after for blends that need depth and length. Expect southern Montagne style to have broader shoulders than its northern counterpart.
Signature grape