Why it matters
The producer
At Louvois, a Grand Cru village in Champagne, Sophie Milesi is the current winemaker at Domaine Méa, also marketed as Guy Méa. She works with her husband Franck across a family domaine whose wines are built around Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The domaine makes its own cuvées and sells juice to House of Bollinger. Its range includes blended wines, a zero dosage cuvée and a rosé, with bottle ageing and dosage shaping the finished styles.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Louvois is a Grand Cru village in Champagne. Grand Cru identifies the village's place in the Champagne hierarchy, while each cuvée's grape proportions, lees ageing and dosage remain separate production choices.
That distinction allows the range to move between Pinot Noir led and Chardonnay led wines without treating the village classification as a tasting note. The label gives the origin; the cellar choices determine the wine's dryness, fruit profile and texture.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Lees ageing keeps Champagne in contact with yeast after the second fermentation in bottle. This can soften the mousse and add bread, toast and nut notes as the wine spends time on its lees.
Le Grillon ages for a minimum of 4 years on the lees in bottle. Dosage is the small addition of wine and sugar made after disgorgement; a zero dosage wine receives no added sugar.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range includes six documented cuvées. L'Assemblage is Pinot Noir led, while Le Grillon is Chardonnay led. Sig'nature is a Pinot Noir focused cuvée with zero dosage, and Rosa Délice is the rosé of the group.
Brut Tradition Premier Cru and Brut Nature Belle de Noirs complete the named range. The bottles therefore move from blended Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines to a no added sugar style, a rosé and a Brut Nature cuvée.