Chartogne-Taillet

The Taillet family has maintained winemaking records in the village of Merfy since 1683, with the lineage of viticulturists in the area tracing back to the late 15th century. These historical records include a diary kept by Fiacre Taillet in the early 1700s that continues to serve as a reference for the family today. The Chartogne family settled in Merfy in 1870, and the two names were joined in 1920 through the marriage of Marie Chartogne and Etienne Taillet. Philippe and Elisabeth Chartogne ran the estate for nearly three decades before their son, Alexandre Chartogne, took over operations in 2006.

The estate consists of roughly 12 hectares situated in the Massif de Saint-Thierry, a sub-region northwest of Reims. Unlike the chalk-heavy soils common in other parts of Champagne, Merfy features a complex geological mix of sand, clay, sandstone, and limestone over a chalk base. Alexandre Chartogne has worked with soil specialists Claude and Lydia Bourguignon to analyze these plots, finding correlations between modern soil health and 17th-century records from the local Abbey of Saint-Thierry. He practices viticulture with an emphasis on biodiversity, using cover crops and manual ploughing by horse to encourage deep root systems. In the winery, he vinifies parcels individually to maintain the identity of each site. Fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts, and the wines age in a mix of stainless steel tanks, neutral oak barrels, and concrete eggs without filtration.

The house is best known for its Sainte Anne Brut, a non-vintage blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with a smaller portion of Pinot Meunier that serves as an introduction to the village style. The producer has gained significant attention for its single-parcel bottlings, such as Les Barres, produced from ungrafted Meunier vines planted in 1952. Other notable site-specific wines include Heurtebise, Chemin de Reims, and Les Orizeaux. These cuvees are typically bottled with low dosage to highlight the mineral tension and specific textures derived from the diverse soils of Merfy.