Bergères-lès-Vertus

Bergères-lès-Vertus (zip code 51130), a village of 637 inhabitants (as of 2016), is a small commune in France, in the Champagne region Côte des Blancs. The commune is located on the southern edge of the Côte des Blancs, next to Vertus, about 21 km south of Épernay. Bergères-lès-Vertus carries the status of Champagne classification, as a Premier Cru place. The white grapes are rated at 95%, the black at 90%. The vineyards of the small commune amount to 220 hectares (as of 2019) and, as is usual in the Côte des Blancs, are planted primarily with Chardonnay. The Chardonnay vine accounts for 214.5 hectares, Pinot Noir is represented by 4.5 hectares, and 1 hectare is also planted with the Pinot Meunier variety. The vineyards are essentially an extension of the vineyards of Vertus. However, the vineyards of Bergères-lès-Vertus are slightly lower, at an altitude between 120 and 160 meters.

The style of Bergères-lès-Vertus wines can be described as very extractive, fruity and wonderfully balanced. One Champagne winemaker with vineyards in the commune is Champagne Francois Vallois. The winemaking family produces both Premier Cru and Grand Cru champagnes. The vintner champagnes of Francois Vallois mature on the yeast for a longer than average period, are rich in extract, very fruity, while wonderfully balanced and reflect all the character traits of the terroir. The annual production of the winemaking family is only 35,000 bottles. Francois Vallois is known for his outstanding vintage champagnes, his Vieille Vigne Champagne, made from grapes from vines dating back to the 1950s, and his deeply fruity Rosé de Saignée.