Location and landscape
Mareuil-sur-Ay has been a delegated commune since 1 January 2016. The settlement lies in the Champagne at the foot of a slope covered in vineyards, beside a large river and a side canal. It takes in the valley floor and the lower slopes of the Côte-d’Ile-de-France-Cuesta; the vineyard sites are predominantly oriented to the south. From the edge of the plateau, there are extensive views due to the height difference, while a small local hill forms a distinctive landscape feature.
Climate and subsoil
The climate combines oceanic and continental influences. The annual temperature variation is greater than with a purely oceanic climate, while the south-facing orientation provides a locally milder environment. The average annual temperature is about 10.2 °C; this is accompanied by roughly 70 frost days and around 1,700 hours of sunshine per year.
Mareuil-sur-Ay lies in the eastern Paris Basin. Due to erosion, layered sediment formations are exposed; the cuesta includes chalk, limestone, marl and colluvial slope materials. Beneath the area there is a chalk groundwater aquifer with locally complex groundwater behaviour.
Viticulture and appellation
Mareuil-sur-Ay is one of the communes approved for the AOC Champagne with the additional designation “Premier Cru”. For the AOC Champagne, the following are permitted here as the main grape varieties: Arbane, Chardonnay, Meunier, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir; Voltis is approved under specified conditions as a variety of interest for adaptation. The AOC wines from Mareuil-sur-Ay are restricted to white or rosé sparkling wines.
The historic vineyard slopes of Mareuil-sur-Ay form part of the cultural landscape “Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars”, which has been recognised as a World Heritage site for the historical development of Champagne production.
Production rules
The AOC Champagne sets out, among other things, a regulated planting density, permitted vine pruning systems, trellising, tying-in, shoot positioning and specifications for the height of the leaf wall. The target yield is 12,400 kilograms of grapes per hectare, with a maximum yield of 15,500 kilograms per hectare, in each case subject to the applicable annual regulations.
The grapes must be transported entirely to the press. For white wines and directly pressed rosé wines, requirements apply for whole bunch loading, pressing and must fractionation; the wine to be marketed is fermented in the bottle. Bottle ageing is at least 15 months, and for wines with vintage labelling at least 36 months.
