Description
The wine
Pinot Meunier is the grape variety most associated with the western Vallée de la Marne — where the heavy clay soils and lower chalk content suit its early-ripening character. It is rarely planted on the chalk-dominant clay-limestone terroirs of Bisseuil, where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay traditionally dominate. Hélène Charbaut planted Le Chaudion in 1999 to find out what Meunier does when the chalk takes over.
The answer, 25 years later, is something quite different from what Meunier usually produces. The chalk-dominant soils give the wine a mineral tension and freshness that the variety doesn’t typically achieve on heavier western Marne soils. The south-facing exposure gives it ripeness and depth. The combination produces a Meunier that is simultaneously generous — the variety’s characteristic roundness and aromatic warmth — and precise, with a saline mineral quality that reflects the Bisseuil terroir.
Hélène vinifies Le Chaudion entirely in 2.28hl old oak barrels using indigenous yeasts — the same approach across every cuvée — with 10 months ageing on lees. Zero dosage. Unfiltered. The wine says exactly what it is: Pinot Meunier from chalk, made without embellishment.
Vineyard & vintage details
Producer: Champagne Hélène Charbaut
Cuvée: La Meunière Blanc de Meunier Premier Cru
Grape: 100% Pinot Meunier
Village: Bisseuil · Premier Cru
Plot: Le Chaudion · planted 1999
Aspect: South-facing
Soil: Chalk-dominant clay-limestone
Juice: Cuvée only — first pressing
Vinification: 2.28hl oak barrels · 100% · indigenous yeasts · 10 months on lees
Dosage: Zero dosage · 0g/l
Disgorgement: 25/11/2023
Farming: Organic · biodynamic
Format: 750ml · 12.5% vol
Hélène Charbaut
Hélène Charbaut is the fourth generation of a family farming in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ since 1937. Five cuvées — each a single grape variety, a single expression of Premier Cru terroir from a historic cave the family has worked for nearly a century.
All Hélène Charbaut wines are currently sold out. The next allocation is expected spring 2027 — join the pre-arrival list for first access when it arrives.
