Red grapes make up only four per cent of the plantings here.
From Chouilly in the north, close to the Vall e de la Marne , through Cramant, Avize, and Oger down to Mesnil in the south, the vineyards are all classified as Grand Cru . Although each of these villages is Grand Cru in its entirety, there can be significant variation in ripeness and hence quality according to location, and mid-slope vineyards tend to be the most consistently excellent. Not surprisingly, the best Blanc de Blancs , such as Salon de Mesnil, Krug's Clos de Mesnil, and Mumm de Cramant, come from the C te des Blancs. At their best, Chardonnays from these slopes have incomparable finesse and intensity, and an almost endless capacity for aging and improvement in bottle in vintage years.