Oiry

Oiry is one of the smaller Grand Crus on the Côte des Blancs, with almost entirely Chardonnay vines on the flat plain east of the actual slope, contiguous with Chouilly, Cramant and Avize. The village was promoted from Premier Cru to Grand Cru in 1985, alongside Chouilly, Oger, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Verzy, in what is widely viewed as a generous classification given Oiry's almost complete lack of slope. The promotion meant the entire eastern flank of the Côte des Blancs ended up at Grand Cru status. The village has no resident producers of household-name stature, and almost no single-vineyard cuvées originate here, with most of its fruit passing anonymously into négociant blends. Oiry is also home to a major Moët & Chandon press centre, opened in 2012, an industrial node for the region's largest house rather than a destination on the wine map.