Chassenay d’Arce Chardonnay 2018 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut and Chassenay d’Arce Cuvée Expression Rosé Brut, two exciting new releases from this renown house. Peter Morrell samples both Champagnes

The Champagne House Chassenay d’Arce is located at the heart of Côte des Bar, at the very south of the Champagne region, above Burgundy.

Chassenay d’Arce, the largest Champagne coop by the size of its vineyard, situated in the Cote des Bar, specialized in Pinot noir.

Founded in 1956, it gathers 130 winegrowing families and covers around 315 hectares spread within 14 villages. These elegant champagnes are distributed throughout France and in 30 other countries around the world.

It is the first champagne house to get certified with the Sustainable Winegrowing label in 2021, their organic production is today of 7.7 hectares. They have proven their genuine ecological commitments through several different actions, such as the new environmental initiatives they implemented at the end of 2023.

Chassenay d’Arce House is a combination of a family and terroir spirits, and the high standards shared by the winemakers to ensure that only champagnes of the greatest quality are produced.

The Côte des Bar
Chassenay d’Arce champagnes are an expression of the specific terroir of the Côte des Bar and its Kimmeridgian soil that was once covered by the sea. As the seasons pass, the vine trunks grow, the clusters take on colour and the vintages are developed.

The Arce Valley is located at the southern end of Champagne, close to Burgundy. The mild climate, the grapevines’ exposure, and the types of soils (here, the roots of the vine stock dig into the stony marl) allow the fruit to be harvested at full maturity towards the end of summer.

Chassenay d’Arce Chardonnay 2018 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

This single varietal wine made with 100% Chardonnay has been aged for some of the time in oak barrels and then on the lees in the bottle for 5 years. This has given it a highly complex character. It pours a golden yellow colour and there are fine, fast moving streams of small bubbles in the glass.

The bouquet has an abundance of aromas which include apples, peaches, nuts and spices. It has a good mouthfeel with flinty minerality and is bone dry. The fruit flavours persist in the mouth and are joined by floral notes and hints of smoke and vanilla from the barrel ageing. The finish is crisp and fresh.

The Chassenay d’Arce Chardonnay 2018 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut is an excellent aperitif and will pair well with seafood and summer salads.

Chassenay d’Arce Cuvée Expression Rosé Brut

This is a perfect example of a rosé champagne, it is made with 67% Pinot Noir, 28% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Blanc, and is a blend from several harvests. In the glass it has a delicate pink hue and there is a good stream of tiny bubbles. On the nose there is a pot pourri of aromas, there are strawberries and raspberries with underpinning tones of flowers and citrus. The palate is ful of fresh fruity flavours with a good showing of yeasty brioche, which is the result of three years sitting on the lees in the bottle, and there is a helping of floral notes. The acidity is well-balanced, and the finish is long and refreshing.

Appreciate this champagne on its own as an aperitif or pair it with strawberries and cream for an indulgent experience.

Chassenay d’Arce Champagne is available in the UK from good wine merchants.