Bisseuil

Bisseuil is in the Grande Vallée de la Marne, 9 km east of Épernay, between Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Tours-sur-Marne, where the Montagne de Reims descends toward the Marne and its lateral canal. Since January 1, 2016, it has been a commune déléguée of the new commune of Aÿ-Champagne, together with Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. The village, crossed by the canal, is dominated to the east by Mont Charlier (131 m); to the west, the slopes end in cliffs above the canal, with chalk cliffs and, toward Avenay, the woods of Rouge Mont and Mont Aigu rising above 200 meters.

The vineyards, 125.4 ha cultivated by 29 winegrowers according to the UMC, lie between 106 and 173 meters on gentler slopes than in neighboring villages (average gradient 8%), facing mainly southeast and east. Unlike the rest of the Grande Vallée, Chardonnay predominates here, accounting for 66% of the area, followed by Pinot Noir (29%) and Meunier (5%). Bisseuil is Premier Cru, ranked 95% on the échelle des crus. According to the UMC, Deutz, Leclerc Briant, Lenoble, and Mumm have vineyards in the commune.

The name comes from the Latin buxum, meaning boxwood. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the village was fortified; two fires, in 1754 and 1768, almost completely destroyed it, sparing the church of Saint-Hélain (13th-15th century, a historic monument), and it was rebuilt on a regular plan. Its charm, writes the UMC, comes from its chalk quarries, the church and the swing bridge over the canal.

The Champagne wines from Bisseuil available from STELT, including a village cuvée, a single-vineyard wine and blends in which the cru is combined with others, are listed below; the village is on the Champagne map.