Why it matters
The producer
Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is home to Champagne Le Mesnil, a cooperative in the Côte des Blancs rather than a single grower estate. The cooperative was formally established in 1937 and brings together hundreds of growers farming roughly 300 hectares. Its wines carry Grand Cru status.
Gilles Margue is the winemaker. He joined in 2001, was promoted in 2005, and has worked in California, New Zealand and South Africa. He avoids chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides, and limits buds per cane to hold yields down.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Le Mesnil-sur-Oger sits in a Grand Cru village in the Côte des Blancs. Prestige comes entirely from Le Mesnil vineyards, keeping its geographic address within one village. Sublime also draws from Oger, Cramant and Chouilly, extending the range across three neighboring villages.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range includes Le Mesnil Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs, a brut Blanc de Blancs made from white grapes, and Le Mesnil Grand Cru Prestige Brut, 2008, the vintage cuvée. Prestige 2008 is made entirely from Chardonnay.
The wines receive at least three years of ageing on the lees. Lees are the spent yeast cells left after fermentation, and time against them can add creamier texture and bready notes to sparkling wine. Prestige 2008 comes from old south facing Chardonnay vines with low yields. Those yields produce concentrated aromas.