We love visiting Champagne Le Gallais – sampling their wines on the terrace overlooking the vines and the river valley below is just bliss!
Charlotte Morgain Le Gallais creates her wines from 7 plots within the domaine that her family has owned for 5 generations. The focus here is on achieving fine, elegant champagnes through careful, sustainable viticulture. And Le Gallais is a Recoltant Manipulant (RM), meaning that every stage of the wine production is done on-site by Charlotte and her small team of 4 people.
Marine, who grew up in the nearby village of Oger, will take us on a walk through the their vineyards, explaining how they care for the grapes throughout the year. A stroll in the vineyard here is unique because the vines grow right up to the magnificent, turreted Chateau Bousault.
The chateau was originally built in 1843 for Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin-Clicquot, better known as the Widow Clicquot. She had a number of vineyards around this area and she used the chateau for entertaining guests of her champagne house. Today just a caretaker lives in the building, although a few of our guests have selflessly offered to come and house sit!
On your visit you’ll get to sample three of the champagnes from their range, typically the Cuvee du Manoir, a blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 45% Pinot Meunier and 10% Chardonnay; the Cuvee des Cedres, which has no added sugar; and the Rose des Poetes. And if your feeling brave Marine will teach one of the group to open a champagne bottle using a sword, just like Napolean’s soldiers did.
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