The history of the Maison De Venoge begins in 1837 when Henri-Marc De Venoge founded the Maison De Champagne De Venoge in the French municipality of Mareuil-sur-Ay. A man of innate entrepreneurial skills, De Venoge is the creator of the first ever illustrated label in the history of Champagne, in 1838. And again: when the maison chooses the blue ribbon of the Knights of the Order of the Holy Spirit as its emblem one of the most iconic labels of all time, the Cordon Bleu. La Maison de Venoge has been a worldwide ambassador for Champagne for over 180 years with refined products of absolute excellence.

Alongside the Champagne, the symbol of the Maison, the Princes cuvées designed in 1858 in honor of the Dutch royal house stand out for the elegant bottle that recalls the decanters used by the European aristocracy to serve Champagne in the early 20th century century. At the top of the range, the Louis XV cuvée is produced exclusively from grapes from the best Grand Cru villages and only in the best vintages.

The House is located on prestigious Avenue de Champagne, at number 33, facing the magnificent wrought iron gate of the former Hôtel Gallice, restored in 2015 by Maison de Venoge.

Blend: 35% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 30% Meunier

Ageing: 4 years

Dosage: 4g RS/l

Its elegant and famous carafe recalls the crystal flasks which European Aristocracy used to Decant their Champagne in the 1800s.

This low dosage reveals delicate aromas and spicy notes. A great wine for the apéritif.

James Suckling – 94 points

This is a Champagne with salty and mineral character, showing chalk and crushed stone with lemon-curd and strawberry undertones. Full-bodied and tight, with freshness and intensity. Lightly bitter at the end. Flavorful
finish. Best in a long time.

Wine Advocate – 93 points

The NV Princes Extra Brut is a classic blend of one-third Pinot Noir (from Hautvillers and Les Riceys), one-third Chardonnay (from Monthelon and Grauves) and one-third Pinot Meunier (from Chigny). The wine opens with very fine fruit aromas and good freshness on the elegant and well-defined nose. Its is fresh and elegant, very delicate, pure and salty on the palate, with a fine mousse and a long, tight and mineral finish where Chardonnay takes over the driver seat. This is a great aperitif with a long and complex finish, so you can also go on drinking it with first courses. Even after dinner, this is a refreshing picture book Champagne with enormous length. The bottle I tasted (LPR146272EB) is 80% based on 2012 and 20% on 2011/2010 and was disgorged in July 2017 with a dosage of four grams per liter.

Champagne de Venoge’s finest wines come along in carafe-shaped bottles that one might call kitsch, but I like them. They don’t fit in my fridge door, but my fridge is big and the Champagne’s good enough to deserve its own shelf and an upright position. The prestige cuvées Louis XV and Louis d’Or are remarkably elegant and vinous sparkling wines with structure, great complexity and also finesse. The 2006 Brut Rosé is one of the finest you can get, and the 1995 Louis XV is a greatly matured and generous Champagne that is still terribly fresh even though it was disgorged more than ten years ago in 2006. Cellar master Isabelle Tellier is doing a great job; there is not a single disappointing wine in the current portfolio that starts with the easy-drinking Cordon Bleu and offers some sophisticated cuvées in the Princes range. Champage de Venoge is—despite its glorious but volatile history (in terms of frequent changes of ownership)—still an underrated rising star in the Champagne region. Champagne de Venoge is now owned by Lanson-BCC.

Decanter – 90 points

This has a fresh, elegant and delicate bouquet with citrussy, herbal and spring flower aromas. It has a vibrant, energetic palate expressing elegant and fresh floral notes. Perfectly balanced and tense on the finish. A blend of 35% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier and 35% Chardonnay. Dosage: 4g/L.