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Champagne Serveaux Fils “Carte Noire” Brut

Grower Champagne — Vallée de la Marne, France

Grape Varietals

• Pinot Meunier
• Pinot Noir

Because the wine is made entirely from Champagne’s two dark-skinned varieties without Chardonnay, Carte Noire is a Blanc de Noirs. Meunier contributes ripe fruit, roundness and approachability, while Pinot Noir provides structure, depth and backbone..

Location
Champagne AOC
Vallée de la Marne, France
Passy-sur-Marne and Barzy-sur-Marne

The fruit comes from vineyards around Passy-sur-Marne and Barzy-sur-Marne in the western portion of Champagne’s Vallée de la Marne. The producer identifies the vineyard soils as clay and limestone. Serveaux’s best vineyard parcels lie along the bends of the Marne River on steep hillsides with relatively poor soils and favorable south to southwest exposures, conditions that help the black grape varieties achieve ripeness while retaining Champagne’s characteristic acidity.

Cellar Window
Drink now through approximately 2030

Tasting Notes
Carte Noire is a fruit-forward yet structured Blanc de Noirs, showing the generosity of Meunier alongside the greater backbone of Pinot Noir. Serveaux describes an intense nose and inviting palate built around red berries and spring flowers. Expect raspberry, wild strawberry and red cherry alongside pear, citrus and subtle floral notes. With air, more developed Champagne characteristics emerge—bread dough, toast, subtle spice and a gentle mineral quality.

Food Pairings
The combination of Pinot Noir, Meunier, moderate dosage and substantial fruit makes this a particularly versatile food Champagne. Pair it with oysters, shrimp, crab cakes, smoked salmon, seared scallops or fried calamari for lighter dishes. Its Blanc de Noirs structure also allows it to handle richer foods beautifully, including roast chicken, duck, pork tenderloin, mushroom dishes and creamy poultry preparations.

It would be especially good with fried chicken, where Champagne’s acidity and bubbles cut through the richness while the red-fruit character complements the savory crust. Charcuterie, pâté and prosciutto are also excellent choices. For cheese, try Brie, Camembert, Comté, Gruyère or aged Gouda. Serveaux’s style of Champagne is substantial enough to move beyond the aperitif and accompany much of a meal.

About the Producer
Champagne Serveaux Fils is a family grower based in Passy-sur-Marne in the Vallée de la Marne. The estate’s story began in the 1950s with Georges Serveaux, who was among the early growers to recognize the vineyard potential of the area’s hillsides. He borrowed money to acquire his first parcels and personally cleared the land for planting. His son Pascal Serveaux, together with Pascal’s wife Martine, continued the work for approximately forty years and expanded the estate to 15 hectares, with Meunier becoming the dominant grape in the family’s vineyards.

Today the third generation—Elodie, Nicolas and Hugo Serveaux—runs the estate and continues to make the wines at the family’s property. In 2016, the family modernized the winery with temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, while retaining oak barrels for selected wines and reserve components. The estate is recognized as an independent grower and works approximately 15 hectares in the Vallée de la Marne.

Meunier is especially important to Serveaux’s identity. The family’s vineyards are concentrated on the steep, sun-exposed slopes surrounding the Méandre de Passy—the bend of the Marne River around Passy-sur-Marne—and their wines are intended to emphasize both the grower’s work and the specific origins of the grapes. Carte Noire belongs to Serveaux’s Historic Range and represents one of the house’s classic expressions of its black-grape vineyards.