The 17 Grand Crus of Champagne
What makes a Grand Cru?
In Champagne, "Grand Cru" is not a promise about a single cuvée, it is a designation for an entire village. 17 communes carry this title: the soil, exposure, and historical grape quality from these sites are so consistently above average that the entire terroir was classified at 100 points on the traditional Échelle des Crus.
The Échelle des Crus was abolished as a price mechanism in 2010, but the classification of the 17 Grand Cru villages remains, any label made from 100% grapes of these communes may bear the "Grand Cru" designation.
The distribution is asymmetric: 9 villages in the Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir), 6 in the Côte des Blancs (Chardonnay), 2 in the Vallée de la Marne (Pinot Noir, with Aÿ as the heart). Côte de Sézanne and Côte des Bar have no Grand Crus.
Montagne de Reims (9 Grand Crus)
The Pinot Noir kingdom. South-facing slopes (Ambonnay, Bouzy) deliver power and structure; north-facing sites (Verzy, Verzenay) bring tension and minerality.
| Village | Main grape | Character | CHD maisons | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambonnay | Pinot Noir | Powerful, structured | 39 | 📄 |
| Beaumont-sur-Vesle | Pinot Noir | Light, approachable | 1 | no page yet |
| Bouzy | Pinot Noir | Fruity, full | 25 | 📄 |
| Louvois (in Val-de-Livre) | Pinot Noir | Rare, fine | 1 | no page yet |
| Mailly-Champagne | Pinot Noir | Elegant, refined | 5 | 📄 |
| Puisieulx | Pinot Noir | Rare, fine | 0 | no page yet |
| Sillery | Pinot Noir | Historic, elegant | 2 | no page yet |
| Verzenay | Pinot Noir | Strict, mineral | 20 | 📄 |
| Verzy | Pinot Noir | Cool, taut | 14 | no page yet |
Côte des Blancs (6 Grand Crus)
Pure Chardonnay on pure chalk. Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant are considered the two most prestigious sites for Blanc de Blancs in Champagne.
| Village | Main grape | Character | CHD maisons | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avize | Chardonnay | Saline, precise | 28 | 📄 |
| Chouilly | Chardonnay | Generous, broad | 18 | 📄 |
| Cramant | Chardonnay | Floral elegance | 18 | 📄 |
| Le Mesnil-sur-Oger | Chardonnay | Stony, long-lived | 21 | 📄 |
| Oger (in Blancs-Coteaux) | Chardonnay | Ripe, velvety | 8 | no page yet |
| Oiry | Chardonnay | Light, supple | 2 | no page yet |
Vallée de la Marne (2 Grand Crus)
Aÿ and Tours-sur-Marne, the south-facing Pinot Noir slopes along the Marne. Historically the home of the great houses (Bollinger, Deutz, Henriot in Aÿ).
| Village | Main grape | Character | CHD maisons | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aÿ (in Aÿ-Champagne) | Pinot Noir | Powerful, world-renowned | 20 | no page yet |
| Tours-sur-Marne | Pinot Noir | Pinot Noir classic | 3 | 📄 |