Louvois

Louvois lies on the southern slope of the Montagne de Reims, in the valley of the Livre, a small tributary of the Marne; Épernay is 13 km away, Reims 20. It borders Bouzy, Ambonnay, Mailly-Champagne, Verzenay and Verzy, all Grand Cru, and Tauxières-Mutry, with which it has formed the new commune of Val de Livre since January 1, 2016. L'UMC places it in the terroir of the Grande Montagne de Reims.

The vineyard is among the smallest of the seventeen Grand Cru: 41.2 ha for 35 winegrowers according to the UMC, 81% Pinot Noir and 19% Chardonnay. The plots lie high up, between 153 and 206 metres, on steep slopes (average gradient 12.1%) following both sides of the valley, with varied aspects: southeast, west, east and northwest are equally represented. According to the Comité Champagne, Pinot Noir lends body and structure, with red-fruit aromas. L'UMC mentions vines belonging to Bollinger, Louis Roederer, Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot.

Mentioned as Lupi Via around 850, Louvois was a seigneury in the 13th century. In 1656, Michel Le Tellier bought its ruined château, and his son François Michel, Marquis of Louvois and minister to Louis XIV, had a new château built between 1678 and 1681, with a park designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart; largely destroyed after the Revolution, the gate, orangery and park remain, a historic monument since 2015. In 1911, Louvois was among the eleven 100% crus in the first échelle des crus, and the specifications for the AOC Champagne list it among the Grand Cru communes.

When a Champagne from Louvois enters the STELT selection, it appears below. The village is marked on the Champagne map.