Grape
Pinot Gris
A grey-pink mutation of Pinot Noir, historically known in Champagne as Fromenteau — spicy, smoky, distinctive.
Pinot Gris is the third historic Pinot variant still permitted by the AOC, traditionally called Fromenteau in Champagne. Plantings are vanishingly small — a few hectares at most, scattered through the Aube and the Marne.
Where it appears, it brings a smoky, spicy, slightly oxidative dimension you don't get from any other Champagne grape — quince, ginger, honey, dried herbs. Almost always part of a heritage blend with Arbane, Petit Meslier and Pinot Blanc. Producers to know include Aubry, Moutard, Duval-Leroy and Laherte Frères.