Villers-aux-Nœuds

Villers-aux-Nœuds borders Reims to the south, 6 km from the city center, at the foot of the northern slope of the Montagne de Reims, between Bezannes and Écueil; the UMC places it in the Reims: Vesle & Ardre terroir. The name is curious: Villare Asinorum, “the village of donkeys,” at the beginning of the 11th century, later corrupted to “aux-Nœuds.” The territory, 6.44 km², is almost entirely arable land and slopes from 151 to 89 meters.

The vineyard is small: 28 ha for 15 winegrowers, between 104 and 120 meters, with an average slope of 6% and a clear southeast exposure; one fifth of the plots are flat. Pinot Noir accounts for 51%, Meunier for 30%, and Chardonnay for 18%. In these massifs around Reims, the UMC writes, the soils tend toward marl, clay, and sand; according to the Comité Champagne, Pinot Noir gives body and structure, while Meunier adds roundness.

In the last échelle des crus, Villers-aux-Nœuds was rated 90%, the threshold that has qualified it for Premier Cru since 1952, now confirmed by the appellation rules. L'UMC lists no houses' vineyards in the commune; the church is dedicated to Saint-Théodulphe.

Below are the wines the map places in Villers-aux-Nœuds: those made from grapes grown at the lieu-dit Le Mont Benoît, those combining vineyards in the commune and Sacy, and those of Emmanuel Brochet, whose estate is based here. The village is on the Champagne map.