Beyond the most traveled tourist routes of France, when talking about great sparkling wines, true connoisseurs cannot miss the journey that leads to the lesser-known, but in some respects, more authentic part of the Champagne region. We are talking about the heart of the Aube region, the true birthplace of Champagne, where the first stock of Chardonnay was transplanted, imported from Cyprus directly from the Crusades of the 13th century, by the Comte de Champagne. The first to be planted in the Côte des Bar, although it was the merchants of the Marne who sold it first in France.
And to prevent the Aube from producing authentic Champagne, after a war, the region was forbidden for more than six centuries from using the “Champagne” denomination.
This is where the story of Comte de Montaigne begins, a House that has made the authenticity of the Aube terroir its distinctive feature. Stéphane Revol, CEO of the company and a keen connoisseur of the Aube, guides us to discover Troyes, the regional capital, with 5 attractions not to be missed.
1 Half-Timbered House
Once the capital of Champagne, today Troyes is the capital of the Aube Department. Nestled on the left bank of the Seine, this charming town is also remembered for its historic center, better known as “le Cœur de Troyes,” which has the exact shape of a champagne cork (“Bouchon de Champagne»). Between one medieval street and another, you can also spot the details of traditional half-timbered houses (Maison à Colombage), built in the 12th century with wood, straw, and clay. Clay that we still find in the terroir of Comte de Montaigne Cuvées today. That’s why, walking in this area, you understand the beauty of a territory that makes its uniqueness an indispensable value.
2 Church of Saint Magdalene and the First Chardonnay Stock
The Church of Saint Magdalene is a church you come across somewhat by chance while walking the narrow streets of the city center. It is the oldest church in Troyes and boasts a remarkable exterior, offering a flourishing Gothic architecture style with flying buttresses forming a beautiful interlace over the side entrances, rich with anthropomorphic gargoyles you can almost touch. Its stained glass windows captivate tourists from all over the world. A detail shows the image of the Comte de Champagne handing the cardinal the first grape stock of Chardonnay brought from Cyprus directly from the Crusades in the 13th century, then transplanted in the Côte des Bar, the terroir of Maison Comte de Montaigne.
3 Stained Glass of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul
Soaring and imposing, with five naves and a majestic rose window, the breathtaking Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul leaves you speechless. The Saint Paul tower, dating from 1545, is still unfinished today. The curiosity? The 1,500 meters of stained glass worked between the 13th and 19th centuries, which earned the city the nickname “Holy City of Stained Glass”.
4 Basilica of Saint Urban
The Basilica of Saint Urban, a Gothic masterpiece, is one of the symbols of the city of Troyes. The tympanum of the portal strikes with its depiction of the Last Judgment, along with the apse stained glass and the statue of the “Vierge de Raisin” in the southern chapel, a masterpiece of the Troyes School of the 16th century.
5 Medieval Gardens
During your visit to Troyes, you absolutely cannot miss the city’s five medieval gardens. First of all, the Mary’s Garden, in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Mauroy, which tells the evolution of the pleasure garden, from the Middle Ages up to the threshold of the Renaissance. If you are passionate about medicinal and aromatic plants, you will be fascinated by the Apothecary’s Garden in the heart of the Hôtel Dieu. Do not miss the Garden of the Dyers, which offers visitors a fantastic dive into the world of dye plants, and the Garden of the Innocents, which marks the public opening of the secret ossuary of the church of Sainte Madeleine. Completing the list, the Medicinal Plants Garden, in the main courtyard of the Hôtel Dieu, offers an interesting journey to discover the “magic plants” for healing diseases, on a surface of 1,300 square meters.
Comte de Montaigne
Passion for the land, eco-sustainability, loyalty to values are the true roots of the entrepreneurial philosophy of Comte de Montaigne. A Champagne with heart, synonymous with genuine values, emotion, warmth, closeness, joie de vivre. The terroir of the Côte des Bar, understood as microclimate and the set of mineral characteristics of the soil, is one of the brand’s identity traits. It is a special habitat, with a temperate, oceanic, semi-continental climate, where sun exposure is limited and the chalky subsoil plays a thermoregulatory and protective function for the vine roots. During the production cycle phases of Comte de Montaigne, the vineyard holds a prominent weight compared to the cellar phases. From harvest to cellar, up to the champagne ready for sale, tradition and the heart of everyone who works there are preferred. From the Cuvées of the Côte des Bar come five great champagnes: the Brut (70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay); the Extra Brut (70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay); the Rosé (100% Pinot Noir); the Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) and the Cuvée Speciale (100% Pinot Noir).
