Description
Moderate elevation and sandy clay layered over chalk define La Côte des Glaises, the source of the 2018 Lelarge-Pugeot Coteaux Champenois Chardonnay, produced by the family’s organic and biodynamic estate in Vrigny. The parcel combines warmth with effective drainage, conditions that required careful management during the notably warm 2018 season. Vineyard work emphasizes ground cover, manual canopy shaping, and soil centered practices intended to preserve microbial activity and regulate vine balance. Grapes are harvested by hand and fermented with native yeasts in neutral barrels, allowing the interaction between vintage conditions and chalk influence to be observed without embellishment. Aging continues in older wood to maintain clarity and structural definition. Within the Lelarge-Pugeot range, La Côte des Glaises contributes to the estate’s ongoing evaluation of still wine potential in Champagne and informs broader decisions around parcel specific vinification, barrel selection, and adaptation to changing climatic patterns.