AMBONNAY, with its medieval architecture, was a thriving place in the Middle Ages. It was erected on the spot of a Gallo-Roman villa. The discovery of a Merovingian cemetery in a place called "La Fontaine de Crilly" (Crilly Fountain) tends to show that it originated from this very place, where later Templar monks, belonging to "La Commanderie Saint Jean de Jerusalem" were to live. Those monks were great builders who, at the beginning of the 11th century, built our church, a beautiful example of Roman style turned into Gothic style along the years.

From this time on, the vineyard has been part of village dwellers' everyday life, as shown by ornamental vine branches carved on some pillars of the church.
In 1578, King of France Henry III allowed the Ambonnay community to dig moats around the village in order to gain protection, and to sell wine once a year, on Saint Luke's Day. This charter is engraved on a stele where the old market used to take place.

AMBONNAY did not suffer too much from the wars of religion nor from other fights in which our region was always involved.
From this more recent spot (the old market place), the streets and lanes spring from a central axis, a narrow way along which visitors will sometimes remark porches that are interesting from an aesthetic point of view. They allow entrance to the houses, which are usually closed by a wall (a particular feature of the Champagne region). The posts bearing the names given to the streets were made in wrought iron 25 years ago, thus offering the village a unique heritage.
Located on the Côte des Grands Noirs de la Montagne de Reims, the AMBONNAY terroir spreads over an area of about 914 acres. At the very heart of the traditional Champagne region, the AMBONNAY - BOUZY hillside enjoys a South-South East exposition and takes advantage of favourable geological and pedological conditions, together with a micro-climate.
These pre-requisites enable producers to obtain exceptionnal grapes.
Thanks to these features, AMBONNAY has been rated among the Great Vintage Wines from Champagne since the scale was established in 1895.
Because it is planted 130 metres above sea level, most part of the vineyard may often avoid the damages of spring freezing.
The AMBONNAY terroir grows on hillsides where chalky soils comes near the surface, the latter being covered by a thin layer of mixed clay and limestone.
Growing the pinot noir is thus facilitated and the grapes produced allow wine growers to obtain the fruity and vinous productions connoisseurs will appreciate.
As it is lighter and finer, the Chardonnay vine is mostly planted on South East oriented hillsides.

Some regions, the soils of which are mainly composed of clay and silica, may some years obtain a small production of a particularly elegant red wine, characterised by its sweet flavour, tasting of the grape. Connoisseurs will enjoy the Ambonnay Rouge.

 

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