Location and classification
Bethon is a commune in the French département of Marne in the Grand Est region. It belongs to the Terroir Sézannais of the Côte des Blancs wine-growing area in Champagne and is listed under the INSEE code 51056.
Wine growing in Bethon
In Bethon, 194.90 hectares of vineyard are farmed by 99 winegrowers. Of this, 180.70 hectares are devoted to Chardonnay, 12.80 hectares to Pinot Noir, 1.20 hectares to Meunier and 0.20 hectares to other grape varieties. The commune lies within the geographic area of the Champagne appellation.
Limestone soils and wine-growing group
The vineyards of the Côte de Sézanne around Bethon are on slopes with high levels of sunshine. The limestone, covered by a few centimetres of soil, contains calcite grains and is porous, so that during dry summers it serves the vines as a water reservoir. In 1963, André Vandier, his wife de Reviers and 26 winegrowers founded La Crayère in Bethon, which later developed into the winegrowers’ group Champagne Le Brun de Neuville.
Champagne Le Brun de Neuville
The group’s vineyard holdings extend across twelve villages and consist of about 90 per cent Chardonnay and 11 per cent Pinot Noir. The grapes are hand-picked and pressed and vinified by grape variety, cru and cultivation method. The first fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks or, in certain cuvées, in oak barrels. The second fermentation takes place in the bottle; afterwards, the Champagnes mature for at least four years on the lees in 15-metre-deep cellars, and for more than ten years in the autolysis cuvées.
