Hautvillers

Hautvillers lies on the southern slope of the Montagne de Reims, 3 km north of Épernay and 21 km from Reims, overlooking the bends of the Marne; the commune is covered by the state forest to the north. Its hills, along with those of Cumières, Dizy, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, are the “historic hillsides” inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015. The vineyards, covering 290.7 ha and tended by 147 winegrowers according to the UMC, rise from 79 to 211 metres (average slope 12%) and face south-east to south-west. Pinot Noir predominates (44%), followed by Meunier (29%) and Chardonnay (27%).

Hautvillers is Premier Cru, at 93% on the échelle des crus; on the scale it rose from 70 to 80% in 1920. In 1718 Jean Godinot cited «Auvillé» among the «vins de Rivière», and in 1816 André Jullien placed its whites in the first class. According to the UMC, Jacquesson, Joseph Perrier, Leclerc Briant, Louis Roederer, Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot have vineyards in the commune.

The L Benedictine abbey of Saint-Pierre was founded in the 7th century by the archbishop of Reims, Saint Nivard; destroyed by the Normans in 882, burned by the English in 1449 and razed by the Huguenots in 1564, it was rebuilt thanks to Catherine de' Medici and closed during the Revolution. Here Pierre Pérignon (1638-1715), Dom Pérignon, served as cellarer for 47 years: under the abbey's direction, between 1660 and 1700, the wine from these hills changed from still to sparkling. He is buried in the abbey church, now the parish church of Saint-Sindulphe. In 1823 the abbey was purchased by Pierre-Gabriel Chandon and belongs to Moët & Chandon. The village facades bear around 140 wrought-iron signs.

Below are the wines of Locret-Lachaud, a producer based in Hautvillers; the village is on the map of Champagne, between Cumières and Dizy.