Champagne Arlaux Brut Grande Cuvée Premier Cru NV

In 838 AD, all earnings of the powerful Abbey of Saint-Remi were written down in an official register called the Polyptych. These ancient records show that the local peasants (serfs in all actuality) working for the monks were even then producing wine for profit. The vineyards were from the former property of an important Roman soldier named Virius. That name, in time, would become the village of Vrigny.

As early as 1320, the name Arlaux appeared in the margin of a document mentioning a transaction of the Abbey of Saint-Remi concerning the vinage (wine making) and the payment of the tithe.

In 1792, the Royal Abbey of Saint-Remi was seized and sold as national property. Nicolas Arlaux then acquired the vineyards and lands that the family had already been cultivating for several centuries under the monks’ rule. However, it was not until 1826, one year after the coronation of Charles X, the last King of France that Jean Arlaux decided to produce his first bottles of sparkling wine. He had no idea that a century later, champagne would represent the totality of production, thus replacing the red and grey wines which had filled the coffers of the Abbey of Saint-Remi.

The domaine is located in the heart of Montagne de Reims (a protected area), and classified as Premier Cru. Protected from the strong oceanic influences, but still close to the Atlantic coast, the domain experiences high temperature ranges from summer to winter, while benefiting from regular rainfall. Its exceptional chalky soils extend across a long ribbon of slopes with wonderful south / south-east exposure, and are naturally sheltered from unfavorable winds.

Stretching over a little less than 10 hectares, the Arlaux vineyard is essentially planted with Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir grapes, with Chardonnay representing less than 10% of the total. Additionally, the Arlaux vineyard is now one of the very last to bear a few acres of very old French grape vines that survived the Phylloxera epidemic of the 19th Century. Now 15 generations later, in order to best protect this natural heritage, Arlaux has passionately committed to maintaining the land by embracing  growing methods that respect the environment.