Location and classification
Mailly-Champagne is the commune 51338 in the Marne department of the Grand Est region. It belongs to the Reims arrondissement and the Communauté urbaine Grand Reims. The village and its vineyards lie in the Montagne de Reims, a winegrowing area of the Champagne.
Climate and terroir
Champagne is shaped by a dual oceanic-continental climate. The regional average annual temperature is around 11 °C; at the same time there are risks from winter frosts and summer thunderstorms. The vineyards of Mailly-Champagne include slopes with all four compass directions. Most plots face west or north, while south- and south-west-facing sites are described as the warmest in the northern Montagne de Reims.
The subsoil includes chalk as well as a variety of soils formed from sediment-rich mudslides that moved away from the Montagne de Reims towards the valley.
Grand Cru classification and grape varieties
Mailly-Champagne was classed in the Champagne classifications of 1911 and 1920 as a 100-percent Grand Cru commune. The appellation requirements allow the geographical designation “grand cru” for wines from grapes grown in specified Grand Cru communes, including Mailly-Champagne.
For the grape-growing areas of the Mailly-Grand-Cru operation in Mailly-Champagne, 75 percent Pinot Noir and 25 percent Chardonnay are specified. The chalk-influenced Pinot Noir is described as offering freshness and saline mineral notes, while Chardonnay contributes finesse. The range includes cuvées and a Blanc de Pinot Noir made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
History and winemaking
Mailly-Champagne has been mentioned already in writings from the early 18th century among the notable villages of Champagne. In André Jullien’s winegrowing classification from 1816, the place for red-wine grapes belonged to six villages in the “First Class” category.
The Société de Producteurs de Mailly Champagne was founded in 1929 by 25 winegrowers, whose vineyards were located exclusively in the commune. Between 1931 and 1964, the cooperative developed around a kilometre of chalk cellars. The Mailly-Grand-Cru operation reports on a plot-by-plot harvest, separate vinification of selected lieux-dits, and the use of small tanks or Burgundy casks for individual plots. In addition, at least ten earlier vintages are kept as reserve wines; for some cuvées, a Solera or perpetual reserve system is used.
