Champagne De Castellane

Champagne house in Épernay, Vallée de la Marne.

Village: Épernay
Region: Vallée de la Marne
Cuvées in the guide: 4

De‌ Castellane is a champagne house based in Épernay, founded in 1895 by Vicomte Florens de Castellane and owned by the Laurent-Perrier group since 1999. The house is known for its iconic red St Andrew's cross on the labels, a tribute to the oldest regiment of Champagne, and its striking Art Nouveau building with a 66-metre-high tower.

History

The founder chose the principle of négociant distributeur, with the champagne originally being produced by the Union Champenoise. In 1936 Alexandre Mérand took over the house, changed the name to "Champagne de Castellane" and began intensive international export. The Laurent-Perrier group eventually acquired 100% of the capital in 1999, while the Mérand-Nonancourt family is still involved in management.

Vineyards and Approach

De Castellane has no vineyards of its own, but buys grapes from select suppliers in the best terroirs of the Marne valley. Production follows the traditional method:

Harvest: By hand to select only the best fruit.
Vinification: Fermentation in stainless steel tanks (some up to 240,000 litres) or oak barrels at low temperatures.
Ageing: The bottles age in 9-kilometre-long cellars (craie) at a constant temperature of 11–12°C. The brut is aged for at least two years, while the Commodore and millésimes stay longer on the yeast.

Champagnes

The portfolio includes various styles, all recognisable by the red cross:

De Brut: The best-selling cuvée, a balanced blend of 40% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier, with 9-10 grams of sugar per litre.
De Brut Rosé: Obtained by adding 15-17% red wine from Champagne; ages 24-30 months in the cellar.
De Commodore Brut: The cuvée de prestige, made from very old vines with a blend of 45% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier.
Démi Sec: A sweet champagne (38 grams sugar/litre) that spends 5 months in barrels and ages at least two years on the yeast.
Brut Millésime: Made exclusively in excellent vintages (e.g. 2004), with 4 years of ageing and no sugar added in the dosage.

Visitors can visit the Champagne Museum, the Salle des Étiquettes (with 10,000+ labels) and the tower at 63 Avenue de Champagne in Épernay.

Cuvées by De Castellane

De Castellane Brut

Brut · 35% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier

Non-vintage brut dosed at 9 g/l with about 15% reserve wines.

De Castellane Brut Rosé

Rosé · Brut

De Castellane Commodore

De Castellane Demi-Sec

Demi-Sec

Importers

De Castellane is imported by: Perfecte Wijn B.V., Wine & Spirits (Surlinio B.V.).

Where it is sold

Shops and wholesalers carrying De Castellane: Perfecte Wijn B.V..

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