Touring Champagne at the Burgundy Border with Lamoureux

All my French friends always ask me if I am going to the south of France on my trip. I tell them yes—I am going to Les Riceys! It is just three miles away from the northern border with Burgundy here, and has the same soil as in Chablis, the famous Kimmeridgian clay. Not only is the soil different than the chalk of the Marne, so is the climate—here it is far more continental with colder winters and warmer summers. Luckily today was picture-perfect French spring weather, and I hope that I’ll just be carrying around my winter clothes and not wrapping up in them.

France, ChampagneGary WestbyApril 18, 2025K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, lamoureaux, gary westby, champagne, les riceys, south of champagne, french wien

Lamoureux—Champagne Three Miles From Burgundy!

Today I traveled to the very far south of Champagne, in the Aube department to visit my friend Vivien Lamoureux at Champagne J.J. Lamoureux in the beautiful village of Les Riceys. This is the southern tip of Champagne and only three short miles from the departmental border with Burgundy. Here the soil is not the pure white chalk of the Marne area, but rather nearly the same Kimmeridgian clay as in Chablis. Notably, Pinot Noir is king in this area, as Chardonnay buds too early and is at high risk for frost on all but the steepest and most perfectly east-facing sites.

France, ChampagneGary WestbyMay 31, 2022K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, champagne, lamoureux, les riceys, gary westby

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