Champagne Suenen from Cramant in the Côte des Blancs
In the Grand Cru village of Cramant in Champagne’s Côte des Blancs, Aurélien Suenen has steadily refined Champagne Suenen, one of the region’s most compelling grower estates. His wines arise from careful attention to vineyard soils, farming practices, and restrained cellar work. Over the past fifteen years this patient approach has sharpened the expression of the domaine’s sites.
An Unexpected Path to the Domaine
Wine was not Aurélien’s first ambition. In his early years he pursued professional basketball before turning to coaching. Circumstances brought that path to an abrupt close and eventually guided him back to the family domaine. He studied oenology in nearby Avize while gaining practical experience in both vineyard and cellar work.
A Generational Turning Point
Aurélien assumed responsibility for the estate in 2009 at twenty three years old after his father suffered a serious health crisis. Concern over the effects of chemical exposure in the vineyards led him to abandon herbicides and begin a transition toward organic viticulture. Cover crops, compost, and herbal preparations replaced chemical treatments as he worked to restore vitality in the soils.
Studying Soils
To deepen his understanding of the vineyards, Aurélien commissioned detailed soil studies with Claude and Lydia Bourguignon and their son Emmanuel Bourguignon, widely respected specialists in vineyard soils. Their work mapped the structure and biological activity of the estate’s parcels and reinforced the belief that healthier soils produce wines faithful to their terroir. Suenen also maintains modest yields and harvests later than many neighboring growers in pursuit of fruit that combines ripeness with tension.
Winegrowing and Winemaking Influences
Aurélien has also sought guidance from several leading growers in the Côte des Blancs such as Pascal Agrapart who has reinforced the importance of meticulous vineyard work and parcel identity, while the example of Anselme Selosse demonstrated how careful élevage and low dosage could reveal the full character of Chardonnay grown on chalk.
In the Cellar
In the cellar, fermentations rely largely on indigenous yeasts and all wines undergo full malolactic fermentation. Vinification takes place across enamel tanks, concrete eggs, neutral oak barrels, and demi muids. Sulfur is applied sparingly and dosage remains low, generally within extra brut range, allowing each parcel to speak with clarity.
Refocusing the Estate
Aurélien also reorganized the estate’s vineyard holdings. Earlier generations farmed parcels located farther north of the Côte des Blancs, which required frequent travel between scattered plots. Most of those vineyards were sold or leased in order to focus on Grand Cru Chardonnay sites in Cramant, Chouilly, and Oiry, raising the overall level of farming and fruit quality.
One unusual parcel remains outside this core. In Montigny-sur-Vesle northwest of Reims, ungrafted Pinot Meunier grows in deep sandy soils. From these vineyards Aurélien produces a small range of village and single vineyard Champagnes that reveal the character of each site.
Demand for this grower Champagne from Champagne Suenen continues to rise while production remains limited. We are pleased to offer a small allocation and invite you to explore these wines.
THE WINES
NON-VINTAGE BOTTLINGS
Village Expressions of Grand Cru Chardonnay
Suenen’s non-vintage cuvées provide the most direct introduction to the domaine’s style. Both wines are Blanc de Blancs from Grand Cru Chardonnay in the Côte des Blancs and incorporate a portion of reserve wines. Each cuvée highlights a different perspective on terroir. Oiry presents a pure village expression, while C+C blends fruit from Cramant and Chouilly.
Oiry Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut NV
Jancis Robinson: 17/20
Golden apple, stewed lemon, and white peach open the aromas, followed by tea leaf and almond. Medium body with sleek texture. Bright acidity and chalk-inflected freshness bring clarity and precision across the palate. The finish is long with saline minerality and lingering citrus.
C+C Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut NV
Robert Parker: 94/100
Pear, orange peel, lemon blossom, and dried flowers lead the aromas, followed by toasted bread and hazelnut. Full body with layered texture. Lively acidity supports strong concentration with chalk-derived structure. The finish is persistent with citrus oil and maritime salinity.
SINGLE VINEYARD BOTTLINGS
Lieux-Dits of the Côte des Blancs and Beyond
Beginning with the 2012 vintage, Aurélien Suenen introduced a series of single-vineyard Champagne wines to highlight the character of individual lieux dits across the region. Each parcel is vinified separately and aged extensively on the lees before release, allowing soil, exposure, and vine age to appear clearly in the finished wines.
Montigny-sur-Vesle
Ungrafted Pinot Meunier planted in deep sandy soils
La Grande Vigne lies northwest of Reims in the village of Montigny-sur-Vesle. The parcel contains ungrafted Pinot Meunier planted in 1969 in deep sandy soils where vine roots do not reach the chalk bedrock. It remains Suenen’s only Blanc de Noirs and offers a counterpoint to the Chardonnay wines of the Côte des Blancs.
La Grande Vigne Montigny-sur-Vesle Millésime Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2018
Robert Parker: 93/100
Raspberry, wild strawberry, and honeysuckle appear first, followed by biscuit and wheat cracker. Medium body with rounded mousse. Lively acidity brings lift and balance while preserving vivid fruit concentration. The finish lingers with red berry and gentle spice.
La Cocluette (Oiry)
Old Chardonnay vines rooted in dense Campanian chalk
La Cocluette is the northernmost parcel in Oiry and contains the domaine’s oldest vines, some planted in 1925. Roots penetrate dense chalk soils and produce very small yields of concentrated fruit. Wines from this site are known for finesse and pronounced mineral tension.
La Cocluette Oiry Millésime Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut 2018
Robert Parker: 96/100
White peach, kaffir lime, lemon oil, and chamomile lead the aromas, followed by smoke and iodine. Medium body with silky texture. Vivid acidity and mineral drive carry the wine with precision and energy. The finish is long with saline citrus persistence.
Le Mont-Aigu (Chouilly)
Low-yielding vines planted in thin soils above pure chalk
Le Mont-Aigu sits near the Cramant border on the Butte de Saran and is planted with vines more than forty years old. The soils are extremely thin, often only thirty five centimeters before reaching pure chalk. This vineyard produces wines with notable concentration and structural tension.
Le Mont-Aigu Chouilly Millésime Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut 2018
Robert Parker: 95/100
Apricot, red plum, gingerbread spice, and dried citrus peel open the aromas, followed by sea spray. Full body with dense texture. Firm acidity and mineral structure provide depth and tension through the palate. The finish is extended with pronounced salinity and chalk persistence.
Les Robarts (Cramant)
Old Chardonnay vines in clay-limestone soils over fractured chalk
Les Robarts lies on the border of Cramant and Avize, with Suenen’s parcel located on the Cramant side of the slope. Vines planted between the 1950s and 1980s grow in clay limestone soils above fractured chalk. This vineyard inspired Suenen’s first single vineyard wine and remains one of the domaine’s most distinctive sites.
Les Robarts Cramant Millésime Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut 2018
Robert Parker: 96+ / 100
Pear, peach, orange oil, and dried flowers lead the aromas, followed by toasted bread and oyster shell. Full body with layered texture. Vivid acidity and deep fruit concentration carry the wine with clarity and drive. The finish is very long with saline freshness and mouthwatering energy.
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Photo Credits:
Aline Wines
Lambier Wines
Terroirs.ie
World Grand Crus