Besides the three big stars of the Champagne vineyards – Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, there are, however, four other grape varieties authorised under the Champagne name. Of these four “forgotten” varieties – the Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Arbane, the latter holds a special place within the Moutard Family.

Admittedly, these varietals are deemed to be a bit harsher, demanding an attention not always commensurate with the yield that one might hope for, until gradually they were abandoned in favour of the three major grape varieties.

Yet it was in 1952 that Lucien Moutard decided to plant an entire vineyard of Arbane. At the time the variety had almost disappeared from the southernmost hills of Champagne, around Bar-sur-Seine. Lucien was firmly set on defending the Arbane varietal on behalf of the diversity of flavours of the Champagne appellation.  A few years later, his son François Moutard pushed the process to completion by producing a special 100% Arbane vintage, unique in all Champagne and of an incomparable sophistication. Its hawthorn and carnation taste, with aromas of peach, apple pippin, and quince, and the production of barely a few thousand bottles each year, truly make this wine a gastronomic curiosity of the Moutard Family’s champagne. A vintage appreciated by wine lovers with organoleptic characteristics far from the rules of the genre.

“This grape variety ripens late and is difficult to work, but it brings an incomparable refinement to the assembly.” François Moutard

This is why Arbane is also used by the Moutard Family in the production of its other champagnes, acclaimed for their typicality and rare qualities. Like a signature or a trademark taste, unique to the family. A way to blend know-how, tradition, and personality into the production of wines and spirits of the highest quality.

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Although Chablis is known worldwide for its appellations and wines of Burgundy, it would be a shame to miss out on its other cultural and historical specialties. Present in Chablis since 2004, the Moutard Family invites you to discover the Chablis heritage on a touristic voyage.

During the Middle Ages the monks permanently changed the landscape of Burgundy by setting off a winemaking revolution, since becoming the spearhead of Burgundian culture. The development of the vineyards went hand in hand with that of the Benedictine and Cistercian Abbeys, which quickly became the main centres of spiritual, artisanal, artistic, and intellectual thought of the whole of Europe, in the Catholic sense of the term. The church, therefore, was instrumental in transforming the land of Burgundy into a major wine growing territory.

This is why, even today, many Romanesque and Gothic churches can be found around Chablis, in the heart of each village or associated with an abbey. Visiting these buildings not only takes you through Burgundy’s Middle Ages, it is also a way to visit the vineyards and the beautiful scenery around Chablis.

We propose following, at your leisure, a circuit of some thirty churches and chapels throughout the Chablis region. At the Chablis Tourist Office, there is a list that will take you on a nearly 150 kilometre route to discover these monuments.

You will experience how nature offers visitors an elegance and harmony in every way consistent with the idea that one has of the Chablis wines, with perhaps a dash of poetry that only such landscapes possess.

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