2008 Champagne René Geoffroy, Empreinte

Champagne Rene Geoffroy

Cumières, in the Vallée de la Marne, is just down the road from Dom Pérignon’s Abbey at Hautvillers. The village is famous for its stylish Pinot Noir-dominated Champagnes, made to perfection by the Geoffroy family for five generations.

Jean Baptise is certainly busy; he has just bought and redesigned a gravity-fed winery in Ay and is constantly looking to perfect his craft. We think he’s pretty close already; tasting chez lui was a real pleasure, the atmosphere enlivened by the constant appearance and disappearance of some or all of his five young daughters. His enthusiasm and energy are boundless, his champagne wines uniformly superb.

Champagne blend

Which grapes are included in the blend, and their proportion, is one of the key factors determining the style of most Champagnes. Three grapes are used - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.

26% of vineyards in Champagne are planted with Chardonnay and it performs best on the Côtes des Blancs and on the chalk slopes south of Epernay. It is relatively simple to grow, although it buds early and thus is susceptible to spring frosts. It produces lighter, fresher wines than those from Burgundy and gives finesse, fruit and elegance to the final blend. It is the sole grape in Blancs de Blancs, which are some of the richest long-lived Champagnes produced.

Pinot Noir accounts for nearly 40% of the plantings in Champagne and lies at the heart of most blends - it gives Champagne its body, structure, strength and grip. It is planted across Champagne and particularly so in the southern Aube district.

The final component is Pinot Meunier and this constitutes nearly 35% of the plantings. Its durability and resistance to spring frosts make the Marne Valley, a notorious frost pocket, its natural home. It ripens well in poor years and produces a soft, fruity style of wine that is ideal for blending with the more assertive flavours of Pinot Noir. Producers allege that Pinot Meunier lacks ageing potential, but this does not deter Krug from including around 15% of it in their final blends.