Description
The wine
The Côte des Blancs — Cramant, Avize, Oger, Le Mesnil — is where most serious Champagne Blanc de Blancs comes from. The chalky soils give Chardonnay its hallmark freshness, precision, and mineral drive. Verzy, on the opposite side of the Montagne de Reims, is planted almost entirely to Pinot Noir. Chardonnay here is relatively rare.
The chalk beneath Verzy’s clay-limestone soils is the same fundamental geology as the Côte des Blancs — but the aspect is different, the microclimate is cooler, and the surrounding predominance of Pinot Noir gives the site a different character. Chardonnay from Verzy is tighter and more structured than from the classic Blanc de Blancs villages — more mineral tension, less opulent fruit.
The 2021 Copin Blanc de Blancs comes from two named lieu-dits within Verzy Grand Cru:
Les Épinettes — planted 1970
Les Alouettes — planted 1976
Both plots farmed organically with biodynamic practices. Fermented entirely in old oak barrels — no stainless steel — with indigenous yeasts and full malolactic fermentation. Extra brut. 1,300 bottles made.
Vineyard & vintage details
Producer: Champagne Pierre Deville
Cuvée: ‘Copin’ Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
Terroir: 100% Verzy Grand Cru
Grape: 100% Chardonnay
Vintage: 2021
Lieu-dits: Les Épinettes (1970) · Les Alouettes (1976)
Soil: Chalk-limestone
Farming: Organic · biodynamic practices
Vinification: 100% old oak barrel fermentation · indigenous yeasts · full malolactic fermentation
Dosage: Extra Brut
Production: 1,300 bottles
2021 vintage note
2021 was a difficult year across Champagne — spring frosts and challenging conditions dramatically reduced yields. For Chardonnay specifically, the cool growing season produced wines of real precision and focused acidity. The 2021 Copin Blanc de Blancs is leaner and more taut than a warmer vintage would produce — the kind of wine that rewards patience and benefits from another two to three years in the bottle.
The 2020 vintage is also available — a warmer, more immediately generous expression of the same parcels.
Tasting notes
Green apple, lemon zest, white flowers, and a distinctive stony mineral quality from the Verzy chalk. The palate is precise and taut — the 2021 vintage and the Montagne de Reims terroir both pulling toward structure rather than generosity. The old oak ageing adds a subtle breadth and texture without softening the wine’s fundamental tension. Long, dry, saline finish. Drink 2025–2031.
Service: 10–12°C. Oysters, scallop tartare, white fish, aged Comté. Works as an aperitif but earns its place at the table.
Alban Corbeaux is the fourth generation of the Corbeaux-Deville family farming in Verzy Grand Cru since 1963. Trained in Burgundy before returning to take over the domaine in 2017 — biodynamic farming, indigenous yeasts, zero or low dosage. Five hectares in one of the Montagne de Reims’ most distinctive Grand Cru villages.
