Location and landscape
Damery is the municipality 51204 in the Marne department of the French region Grand Est and belongs to the Épernay arrondissement. The town lies in the Champagne, in the Vallée de la Marne wine-growing region and in the Vallée de la Marne Rive Droite terroir sector.
The municipal area includes the Marne valley, an agricultural plain, vineyard slopes and a wooded plateau. To the west, the Pâtis de Damery shapes the landscape. The Marne passes through Damery from west to east and is accompanied in part by the canalised Déviation de Damery.
Viticulture and soils
Vineyards cover more than half of the municipal area. The Damery viticultural area covers 416.40 hectares and includes 215 agricultural holdings. Of these, 77.90 hectares are planted with Chardonnay, 249.70 hectares with Meunier and 86.90 hectares with Pinot Noir; other grape varieties are grown on 1.90 hectares.
The vineyard slopes have chalk in the subsoil. The local biodiversity atlas describes them as deposits of marine organisms from around 75 million years ago and cites their water-retention capability as a hydrological characteristic of the area.
Champagne and cultivation practices
Damery is located in the Vallée de la Marne sector of the Champagne geographical wine-growing area. The AOC Champagne designation may be used for wines from the municipality if they comply with the applicable requirements of the Champagne specification. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier are the main grape varieties; Champagne is based on the combination of several grape varieties.
Within the municipal area, among other things, a stronger greening of the vineyards, sown headlands, mechanical weed control and cover crops between the rows of vines are documented. Work is also under way to reduce the use of plant protection products.
Champagne de Telmont
Champagne de Telmont in Damery describes its own viticulture using hand-harvesting, manual work during pruning of the vines, organic fertilisers, the avoidance of herbicides, natural cover crops between the vines, sexual confusion techniques for pest control, copper applications and biodynamic herbal infusions.
According to the winery, the grapes are harvested by hand and pressed on the day of the harvest. Following the first fermentation come the assemblage, the tirage in the bottle, a second fermentation in the bottle, maturation, riddling, disgorgement and dosage. Non-vintage Champagne matures for at least three years, vintage Champagne for at least six years.
