CONTRÉES – LES RICEYS – VINTAGE 2012
ORIGIN
Olivier Horiot and Arnaud Lamoureux are two winegrower friends from Les Riceys. Since 2008, they have sought to deepen their understanding of the complex and vast terroir of Les Riceys.
In doing so, they discovered that the different soil types found on their estates are clearly reflected in their wines. This realization inspired them to share this experience with Champagne lovers.
CONTRÉES
A contrée is a group of vineyard parcels sharing the same soil characteristics and microclimate. In Les Riceys, these “contrées” have been identified and recorded according to their characteristics for the past 353 years. Over time, they were named through observation of the vine and the wines it produced.
The village of Les Riceys possesses an exceptional geological feature: within a relatively small area, it brings together several strata of clay-marls and limestone-marls formed through more than 150 million years of erosion. The pressure exerted by the Alps created a joyful geological patchwork, resulting in a remarkable diversity of soils, exposures, altitudes, and slopes—and therefore an equally remarkable diversity of contrées.
WINES
This mosaic of microclimates gives rise to distinctly different wines. All are made from the same grape variety, Pinot Noir. The grapes were harvested at the same level of ripeness and vinified identically for one year. Bottling was carried out without fining or filtration. Disgorgement was performed on the same day for all wines. No dosage was added (Brut Nature) in order to preserve and reveal the original differences of each terroir.
ARTIST
Claire Combelles, visual artist, turned her gaze toward our hills and created a watercolor painting that captures the nuances of the Riceys contrées.
HORIZONTAL TASTING
We invite you to take your time discovering the similarities and differences between these wines, imagining food pairings, taking notes, and sharing your impressions with us.
Share your comments at: www.contrees-champagne.fr just as we have done together since the very beginning of this passionate and direct project. Enjoy!
VINTAGE 2012: THE 2012 HARVEST IN A FEW WORDS
A vintage full of challenges… with a magnificent outcome!
We experienced a true succession of extreme weather events: severe winter frosts, destructive spring frosts, torrential rainfall, hailstorms in June, a cold spell during flowering, followed by a very wet late spring and an equally damp start to summer. These conditions led, for the first time, to a major outbreak of mildew—something we have unfortunately become all too familiar with since then.
Fortunately, fine weather arrived toward the end of summer, allowing the grapes to ripen perfectly. The season even concluded with periods of intense heat. What initially appeared to be a disastrous vintage ultimately turned out very differently. The vine is an extraordinarily resilient plant, and in the end it delivered beautifully balanced musts.
“When quality compensates for a lack of quantity!”
VINIFICATION
The common thread of the 2012 harvest
All four wines presented here are made from the same Pinot Noir grape variety—our local “terroir sponge”—and were vinified in exactly the same way.
Tirage (bottling for the second fermentation) took place jointly on 12 September 2013.
Disgorgement was carried out on 26 February 2024, after more than 10 years of lees ageing.
No expedition dosage was added (0 g/L dosage), and we chose to allow a further two years of rest before releasing this tasting set, ensuring that it reaches you in optimal condition.
VINEYARDS
VAL DU CLOS
Subsoil: Clay Marl (KM)
Topsoil: Reddish-brown clay
Exposure: South-East
Slope: 20–40%
Altitude: 200 m
Planted: 1987
Vineyard management: Mowing and soil cultivation
Harvest date: 19 September 2012
Natural alcohol: 11.0%
Winegrower: Olivier
ESCHARÈRE
Subsoil: Limestone Marl (KC)
Topsoil: Grey-beige marl
Exposure: East
Slope: 0–20%
Altitude: 250 m
Planted: 1994
Vineyard management: Mowing and soil cultivation
Harvest date: 16 September 2012
Natural alcohol: 11.2%
Winegrower: Olivier
VAL BAZOT
Subsoil: Clay Marl (KM)
Topsoil: Reddish-brown clay
Exposure: South
Slope: More than 40%
Altitude: 260 m
Planted: 1976
Vineyard management: Soil cultivation
Harvest date: 14 September 2012
Natural alcohol: 11.2%
Winegrower: Arnaud
FRAGNOY
Subsoil: Limestone Marl (KC)
Topsoil: Grey-beige marl
Exposure: South-East
Slope: 20–40%
Altitude: 240 m
Planted: 1981
Vineyard management: Soil cultivation
Harvest date: 17 September 2012
Natural alcohol: 11.0%
Winegrower: Arnaud