Vallée de la Marne, Champagne
The rising star of Champagne is a grape, and it's called Pinot Meunier. The historically rather second-rate grape variety, behind Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, has been experiencing a renaissance in recent years. More and more small winegrowers in particular, so-called “récoltants” are opting for single-varietal vinification of the grape.
Meunier is showing its potential particularly along the Vallée de la Marne, where it makes up almost 60 percent of the vineyard area. In the sub-region north of the Marne River, the Rive-Droite, the proportion is even higher. Why? The answer, as usual, is terroir! The soils of this westernmost area of Champagne are interspersed with gravelly sand and marly limestone, often with clay-loam layers. On these soils, grapes often ripen early and show lower acidity levels. The cool influences of oceanic winds also characterize these vineyards. Lots of rain in recent years. The late-ripening Pinot Meunier, forefather of the Pinot family, performs here with a robust acid structure and herbaceous aroma profile.
This brings us to La Neuville-aux-Larris near Cuchery, where Mathilde Savoye vinifies her own cuvées on 3.4 hectares. Mathilde's passion for sustainability in the vineyard and purism in the cellar led the vintner's daughter to found her own microwinery “Savoye et Fils” in 2017. Small, old family plots of land that Mathilde had already worked with intensively before vinifying her first vintage in 2019.
Since then, Mathilde produces three sparkling wines and a still red wine, supported by a small team, including her husband Marc. Already we notice a clear signature in these wines, one of the terroir and of Mathilde herself, with a focus on the cool, playful finesse of the Meunier.

Blanc de Meunier
Mathilde Savoye's flagship in two dosage variants: Brut (6g/l) and Extra Brut (3g/l). The family's Meunier vines are old and deeply rooted in the terroirs of Cuchery and Baslieux-sous-Châtillon. This is a blend of the two lieux-dits “Les Chapellieres” (1964) and “La Loge des Vignes” (2004).
Fermentation takes place in steel for all sparkling wines, without malolactic fermentation. Precision, purism above all else. 18 months bottle ageing on the lees. Minimal sulfur for bottling. The result is sparse, crisp, yet quite vinous and round, with playful citrus notes and a fine yeasty playfullness.
Rosé de Meunier
The quintessence of the estate's three Meunier vineyards. Here too, the Lieux-Dits Chapelleries (1964) and La Loge des Vignes (2004) form the basis, but with the addition of the red wine from Vieux Fossés (1978), which gives the rosé its color and aromatic depth.
The wine is again matured purely in steel tanks, with only one third of the red still wine being matured in wood. The cuvée spends 15 months together on the lees in the bottle and is finally bottled with minimal sulphurization and a dosage of 3g/l (Extra Brut).
Binôme
Field blend. A coplantation of Chardonnay vines planted 2016 into an older Meunier vineyard from 1991, which does still dominate this cuvée. Mathilde found the inspiration for the name, Binôme, in her daily collaboration with her husband Marc, the cuvée a reflection of the winemaking couple in a way!
This current release is a blend of the 2021 and 2022 vintages, both aged in steel and matured together for 15 months on the lees in the bottle. Bottled with minimal sulphurization and 3g/l dosage. The resulting sparkling wine is very lively and balanced. A limestoney freshness dances around this spicy core of yellow fruit. Underneath, this ultra-fine autolysis base, which, with the small dosage of 3 g/l, is reminiscent of freshly baked brioche. Eternal, salty finish. Ping-pong on the palate.
Coteaux Champenois Rouge
Still red wine! Champagne winegrowers bottle non-bubbly white, rosé and red wines within the AOC Coteaux Champenois. These rare bottlings reflect the elegance of the Champagne terroirs with finesse and precision.
The grapes for this red wine come from an old Meunier vineyard (of course) in the “Vieux Fossés” in Cuchery. The vines were planted by the family in 1978. First fermented with a carbonic maceration, the must completes its fermentation in older oak barrels, where it matures for 17 months. This wine opens up full of dark berries, herbaceous, rustically savory, yet precise and light-footed. Fresh fruit, but far from opulent, more the structural laser, vibrates, has depth.
