CHAMPAGNE A. BARTEL
Champagne, France
The Côte des Bar region is the southern-most wine-growing region of Champagne. It comprises 8,000 hectares under vine within an alternation of hills, forest, villages and a several rivers. So it is much more spread out than the densely planted Marne département around Epernay and Reims.
The soil in the Côte des Bar is Kimmeridgian, very similar to the soils of Chablis, so it's a mix of clay with the pure chalk limestone of the Marne. In fact the Bar is about half an hour closer to Chablis than it is to Epernay. The extra clay in the soil, brings a fuller body, a rounder mouth-feel and bigger fruit flavour than the Champagnes from the north. Indeed many Champagne producers in the north buy fruit from the Bar to flesh out their blends.
The Côte des Bar is planted mainly to Pinot Noir (~86%), followed by Chardonnay (~10%) and a little Pinot Meunier (~4%).