Champagne Chartogne Taillet 'Cuvee St.-Anne' NV

Chartogne-Taillet is one of the most written-about grower Champagne estates in the world, and Cuvée St. Anne is its benchmark NV blend. Alexandre Chartogne is the sole RM producer in Merfy, a village with vines first planted in the 7th century, and his wines earn critical recognition that most Grand Cru houses would envy.

Quick Facts

• Region: Merfy, Massif de Saint-Thierry, Montagne de Reims, Champagne, France
• Variety: 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Meunier
• Style: Brut — dry, 2.5g/L dosage on the current release
• Best For: Special occasions, grower Champagne collectors, celebration dinners, gift for the wine-curious
• Farming: Organically farmed (uncertified); estate vineyards in Merfy since 1485

Alexandre Chartogne is the only récoltant-manipulant producer in the village of Merfy, seven kilometers north of Reims, where the family has farmed estate vines since 1485. The Cuvée St. Anne is fermented with native yeasts across a mix of old oak barrels and stainless steel, with partial malolactic fermentation and dosage at just 2.5g/L on the current release. The clay, sand, and sandstone soils over chalk give the wine a layered, textured character that pure Côte des Blancs chalk cannot produce. Antonio Galloni named Alexandre Chartogne “the very best of the artisan grower spirit in Champagne” — and the Cuvée St. Anne, scoring 92 points across Wine Spectator and Vinous, remains the most accessible entry into that reputation.

Why We Love It

Alexandre Chartogne returned to Merfy in 2006 after training with Anselme Selosse, and everything in this glass reflects what he learned about letting place speak. The combination of native yeast fermentation, partial barrel aging, and organic farming produces a Champagne of genuine complexity at a price that makes it one of the strongest values in fine grower Champagne. This is the wine in the flight where Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier work together — and it shows what balance between them looks like in skilled hands.

Tasting Profile

Bright, layered, and chiseled — floral, mineral, and complex in a way that opens with time in the glass.

• Aroma: Citrus blossom, white pepper, lemon confit, dried pear, brioche, chalk mineral note
• Palate (Flavor): Bracing citrus and white cherry, salted almond, blood orange pith, light spice from oak; fully dry
• Structure & Finish (Mouthfeel): Medium body, high acid with raw silk texture, fine lacy mousse, long chalky finish with persistent floral and mineral character

Winemaking

Fermented with indigenous yeasts across 60% old oak barrels and 40% stainless steel tanks. Barrel component adds texture and gentle complexity; stainless component preserves freshness and primary fruit. Partial malolactic fermentation retains some natural malic acidity, producing the wine’s characteristic tension. Dosage is 2.5g/L on the current 2022-based release. Minimum 24 months lees aging.

Serving & Pairing

Serve at 46 to 50°F. Ten minutes in the glass opens the wine significantly.

Best with seared scallops, roast chicken, crab, and aged soft cheeses. The partial MLF and oak-aged component handle richer preparations than a leaner Extra Brut would.

Perfect For: special occasions, celebration dinners, anniversary gifts, dinner parties, grower Champagne exploration, holiday entertaining, host gifts, wine education pours, romantic evenings

Estate Overview

Chartogne-Taillet has cultivated vines in Merfy since 1485. Alexandre Chartogne returned to the family estate in 2006 after training with Anselme Selosse — described by Alexandre as his wine father — and has since made Chartogne-Taillet one of the most sought-after grower estates in Champagne, a reputation built on the quality of organic farming and low-intervention winemaking from ancient hillside vineyards, not on Grand Cru classification. The estate remains the only RM producer in Merfy, and the Cuvée St. Anne is the wine that introduced most of the world to what Alexandre makes. Kellogg imports Chartogne-Taillet to the US, and this is a wine we return to every season.

Terroir (Place)

Merfy sits on the southern slopes of the Massif de Saint-Thierry on soils of clay, sand, and sandstone over a chalk subsoil. The mixed geology above the chalk produces a richer, more textured Chardonnay than pure chalk sites deliver, while the chalk subsoil contributes the mineral backbone and structural tension. Alexandre Chartogne describes the vines as “living in two environments” — upper roots in the sandy clay, deeper roots drawing from chalk. Southeast-facing exposure extends afternoon light and supports full ripeness in cooler growing seasons.