Billy-le-Grand

Billy-le-Grand sits on the eastern flank of the Montagne de Reims, with mostly Chardonnay vines despite belonging to a subregion otherwise dominated by Pinot Noir. The village is one of four small communes (with Trépail, Villers-Marmery, and Vaudemange) collectively known as the Perle Blanche, where eastern exposure and chalk soils favour white grapes in defiance of the Montagne's red-grape reputation. Despite the name, Billy-le-Grand is not large: only 17 vineyard owners hold parcels here, and the village has 126 inhabitants. Plantings lean predominantly to Chardonnay, with the balance Pinot Noir, and the fruit goes mostly into the blends of larger producers.