Ambonnay Champagne house using Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, perpetual reserve blending, and wood and stainless steel cellar work.
The producer
Champagne Soutiran makes its wines in Ambonnay, a Grand Cru village on the hillsides of Montagne de Reims. The house farms sustainably without insecticides or weedkillers, stores reserve wines in large containers, and blends them through a perpetual reserve system. Wood and stainless steel are used in fermentation and maturation, while Pinot Noir and Chardonnay shape the cuvées. The 2012 Millésime Grand Cru comes from Grand Cru vineyards and combines the two grapes in equal parts.
Known for
Ambonnay Grand Cru Champagne
Notable facts
Soutiran makes its Champagnes in Ambonnay, a Grand Cru village on the hillsides of Montagne de Reims.
The house practices sustainable viticulture without insecticides or weedkillers.
Reserve wines are stored in large containers and blended through a perpetual reserve system.
The 2012 Millésime Grand Cru is equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Grand Cru vineyards.
The story
The Reserve System Begins
In 2012, Soutiran launched a perpetual reserve system. Reserve wines are kept in large containers and blended as part of a continuing reserve, a Champagne method that lets wines from earlier harvests contribute to later compositions. Soutiran describes the resulting Champagnes as designed for the table. The system sits alongside the house's use of wood and stainless steel and its variation in fermentation and maturation choices. It combines a launch date, large containers, and continuing blending in the Soutiran cellar.
From the atlas
Champagne Soutiran
Ambonnay house working with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, perpetual reserve blending, and varied cellar vessels.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Region
Champagne
Village
Ambonnay, a Grand Cru village on the hillsides of Montagne de Reims
Main grapes
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Named wine
Soutiran Grand Cru Millésime 2012
Defining feature
Perpetual reserve blending with wood and stainless steel cellar work
The Producer
Wood and stainless steel sit side by side in Soutiran's cellar. The house varies fermentation and maturation choices to develop aromatic potential, and treats Champagne blending as an exceptional piece of expertise comparable to perfume composition. Its vineyards are farmed sustainably, with insecticides and weedkillers left out.
Place
Chalky soils and a sunny aspect are the physical reasons Ambonnay received Grand Cru status. The village lies on the hillsides of Montagne de Reims, where Soutiran makes its Champagnes. In Champagne, Grand Cru is a village classification tied to grape growing, so Ambonnay can appear as the Grand Cru designation on a bottle.
Wines
Soutiran's range includes a vintage Grand Cru cuvée and a perpetual reserve system that blends reserve wines held in large containers. Soutiran Grand Cru Millésime 2012 is made from equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Grand Cru vineyards. Pinot Noir contributes body, while Chardonnay contributes acidity, giving the blend two distinct structural roles.
In The Glass
The 2012 Millésime opens with honey, mashed pear, quince and red fruits, combined with intense saline minerality. The palate is suave and richly reminiscent of those aromas.
A Bottle To Understand It
Open with Soutiran Grand Cru Millésime 2012. It is the house's vintage bottling, made from Grand Cru vineyard fruit and two Champagne grape varieties in one cuvée. The bottle puts a named harvest beside Soutiran's broader reserve blending practice.
Final Word
Champagne Soutiran makes Ambonnay Grand Cru cuvées from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with reserve blending and cellar work across wood and stainless steel.