Les Riceys – A day in Champagne
August 21, 2021
We decided that the drive from Oxford to Bourg Saint Maurice was a little too far in a single day and true to form we decided to break the drive with a stop in the Champagne region. Having already been to Reims, Epernay and Chalons-en-Champagne on previous trips, this time we headed to a new area in the south Eastern part, Les Riceys, in the Côte des Bar Champagne region of Aube.
It is not as famous and is therefore quieter than other parts of Champagne, but there laid in wait a surprise, I will come to that in due course. Firstly, the place. I have to say that the little villages were an absolute delight, very pretty and photogenic. Les Riceys is 3 villages (Ricey-Haut, Ricey-Haute-Rive and Ricey-Bas) and are within walking distance of each other. It’s very rural and you have to concentrate on the roads as vineyard cultivating machines and tractors come thundering around the corners. An evening stroll after dinner as the sun went down was a delight, with the yellow hue of sandstone buildings, and house martins busy catching bugs in the skies above.
French food...yes please!
When it comes to eating, there are limited options available in the villages themselves. Le Marius, Le Magny and Auberge Chez Jo. We ate at the first two, the third is only open on weekends so we missed out there. The food was typical fine French cuisine all washed down with local champagne, and the very relaxed pace meant that it was a full evening experience.
Clark’s all about the continuing of our wine education, but I must interrupt with a few words about Le Marius. It’s a beautiful hotel in an old building, with an absolutely charming restaurant in the vaulted cellar. They have their own champagne, Champagne Joffrey., whose selection of wine and Champagne is one of the best in the area (we especially loved their rosé Champagne) and the food….we ate there twice. I couldn’t resist ordering the Fois Gras – on both occasions; house-made and in rather generous portions. Clark enjoyed the pork cheeks in a wine sauce on two occasions also, and the fish and tartar dishes were amazing. Highly recommended as a stop on any Champagne tour.
Les Riceys' Champagne
Onto the main event, the Champagne. We had one full day, so we decided to visit two Champagne houses, then drop the car back at the hotel and walk to lunch to sample another house’s Champagne. 
With two recommendations from the web we visited Alexandre Bonnet and Jacques Defrance. In the first we simply purchased their Brut and Rosé des Riceys (alas our French is non-existent and no one spoke English – tour not an option) In Jacques Defrance we undertook a tour of the cellar, had a tasting and then stocked up for our forthcoming stay in Bourg Saint Maurice.
What did we learn?
The Rosé Champagne is the deepest red I have seen in a champagne, Which comes from the maceration of the Pinot Noir grapes. The flavour is amazing and I think we may now need to stop there on the way home to restock. It was that good.
Education time – Rosé wine in France has to be made using a maceration process. This is where the pink colour comes from the skins of the red grapes, NOT from blending red and white wine. The exception is in the Champagne region, where Rosé Champagne can be made using the blending process. The Rosé colour is created by adding some still Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier to the Champagne. However, a Rosé Champagne from Les Riceys is made using the maceration process. This produces, in our opinion (and from trying several….in the name of research of course), a deeper Rosé Champagne with a more intense flavour and aroma….a must to try for any Champagne enthusiast.
...there's more to Les Riceys than just Champagne
Whilst Les Riceys is small in size, it is huge in wine, with 900 Hectares of vineyards and one of the largest producing areas in Champagne. It is also the only village to hold three PDOs (Protected Designation of Origin); for its Champagne, Rosé des Riceys and Coteaux Champenois. The surprise was that Rosé des Riceys is a unique and prestigious wine, which we had never heard of (must do more research!). It’s a truly dark Rosé wine with a unique flavour; hints of red berries, especially strawberries and utterly delicious. It’s made with the finest Pinot Noir grapes from the sunniest and steepest hillsides in the village. We had never tried it before, but are definitely converts. As for Coteaux Champenois, we did not stumble across this at all. See what I mean about researching before your trip. We will look out for it on our return!
Lovely!
Oh wow! We so need a trip to the little Champagne villages 🙂 That deep pinky fizz sounds fab x
I was born in France and my family is from Ricey Bas, having lived in the U.S. and now retired it may be time to go back home and be a translator for visiting tourists.
What a great idea. I certainly would have found that useful, particularly in the Champagne houses.