La Côte aux Enfants comes from a small plot of 70 acres, located in the heart of the terroir of Aÿ one of champagne's Grands Crus. Exceptional for its exposure and the quality of its soil, it is exclusively planted with Pinot Noir.
This vineyard is specifically cultivated, with a green harvest that reduces the yield down to 8,500kgs per hectare.
At the harvest, the grapes are sorted 'à la clayette' and the harvest completely destemmed.
Only made from the 'jus de goutte', (Free-run juice), this is the first juice following the running-off of a tank after alcoholic fermentation. It is also called free-run wine. The wine macerates on its skins for 10 to 12 days.
It is then aged for a maximum of two years, in 205 litre oak casks, which are three to five years old.
Originally, Champagne was reputed for... its red wines. It is also said that it ousted the wines of Burgundy from the table of Henri IV. The most renowned were those of Aÿ and indeed it was usual for all red wines from Champagne to be reffered to as 'Vin d'Aÿ.
The red coteaux champenois (the denomination that describes still wines from Champagne) from Aÿ. 'La Côte aux Enfants', therefore constitutes a return to the origins of Champagne. It is only produced in exceptional years from a small plot, 'la Côte aux Enfants', ideally located in the heart of the terroir of Aÿ and planted with pinot noir.
It shows what could have been red wine from Champagne a few centuries ago at the time of their splendour.