One of the seventeen Grand Cru of Champagne, Ambonnay is located in the Montagne de Reims sub-region of Champagne and is planted to roughly 84% Pinot Noir and 16% Chardonnay. Ambonnay delivers chalk, limestone and clay-limestone soils that lend Pinot Noir from this terroir its signature minerality and also provides the ideal growing environment for the varietal. Eric Rodez’s vineyards, in particular, enjoy an ideal altitude at 425-plus feet along with south and southeast-facing exposure, which reduces frost risk in this northerly climate and allows the grapes to reach full ripeness.

 

The self-proclaimed, “Auteur de Champagne,” is precisely that, an auteur; like a Wes Anderson of the vines, Eric is involved in every aspect of growing and in the production of his fine Champagne. He comes by this passion honestly. Records reflect that the Rodez family has been producing champagne from this land since 1757. Over time, parcels were added to their holdings, but the business has stayed a family affair with Eric’s son, Mickael, currently being groomed for his future at the domaine. Eric didn’t just slide into the family business. He worked as an oenologist at Krug where he gained a vast appreciation for the art of blending. He then spent time in Alsace in the mid-1980’s where he garnered knowledge of organic viticulture in an equally cool climate. Eric brought these invaluable lessons back to the family business where he has elevated the practice of blending vintages of his wines. He started farming organically then pushed the envelope even further with biodynamics and biodiversity. In fact, Eric was awarded the HEV (high environmental value) certificate, making Rodez Champagne the first agricultural company to be recognized for its respect not just for organic and biodynamic farming, but for efforts towards biodiversity as well. When Eric is not hand-crafting his magnificent wines, he actually serves as the mayor of Ambonnay and reaches across the region of Champagne to support fellow grower-producers and the special terroirs the region has to offer. When it comes to his wine, I believe Eric says it best, “The role of the winemaker is limited to try and do everything possible to respect and preserve the integrity of the level of expression of the vintage. Winemaking in small oak barrels, no malolactic fermentation, no cold stabilization, no filtering but a lot of passion…” The “Cuvee de Crayeres” is a non-vintage Brut Champagne made with a blend of approximately 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay with 40% to 45% older vintage reserve wines used in the blend. The wine is then aged for many years on lees, which adds immense complexity to the already incredible base wine.