Chouilly

Chouilly is the second-largest of all 17 Grand Crus in Champagne by vineyard area, with parcels stretched between the eastern flank of the Côte des Blancs and the foot of the Butte de Saran. The village sits just south of Épernay and effectively forms the gateway between the Marne valley and the Chardonnay strip that runs south from there. Until the Échelle des Crus was abolished in 2010, Chouilly held an unusual two-tier classification: 100% Grand Cru for whites, only 95% Premier Cru for blacks. Plantings are accordingly almost entirely Chardonnay. The village is also home to Château de Saran, Moët & Chandon's hospitality estate, built in 1801 and expanded through the nineteenth century. The wines from Chouilly tend to be richer and earlier-ripening than those of the more famous southern villages on the strip.