Three Secrets of the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Reims
Listed as a UNESCO heritage site since 1991, this 6,650 m2 monument was the place that almost 30 French Kings were crowned. The first was...
by Lucy Edwards · source ↗
Topics
Listed as a UNESCO heritage site since 1991, this 6,650 m2 monument was the place that almost 30 French Kings were crowned. The first was...
by Lucy Edwards · source ↗
Topics
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Rooted in Chouilly, the Hostomme family has been shaping wine for nearly a century, from its beginnings in polyculture and post-phylloxera recovery, to its reputation today as a producer unafraid to experiment with forgotten grapes, unconventional élevage, and even sea-aging. At the helm is Laurent Hostomme, the fourth generation to steward the family name. For him, Champagne is not only an inheritance but a living philosophy, grounded in respect, generosity, and continuity.
The rainy drive to Buxeuil reveals the character of the Côte des Bar: rural, rugged, and refreshingly unpolished. Far from the manicured elegance of the Montagne de Reims or the Côte des Blancs, this is Champagne’s earthy, southern sibling, raw and unapologetically itself. Alexandre Moutard, third generation, greets me with the ease of someone entirely at home in his surroundings: no fuss, no grand introduction, just a handshake, a smile, and a sense that we can get straight to the real stuff....
Tucked away in the Barséquanais, Les Riceys isn't just any Champagne village. It's the largest by vineyard area in the entire region, with over 840 hectares under vine. But it's not just size that makes it special. Les Riceys is the only village in Champagne that can legally produce all three of the region's appellations: AOP Champagne, AOP Coteaux Champenois, and the elusive AOP Rosé des Riceys. That alone should earn your attention.