The Côte des Blancs scenic drive

The Chardonnay heart, from the giant bottle to the panorama

This is the drive for lovers of the blanc de blancs: the Côte des Blancs, the narrow chalk strip south of Épernay where Champagne is almost entirely Chardonnay. No motorway, but the vineyard lanes that climb the steep slopes past a chain of grand cru villages.

Built as a climb: you begin in Cramant, recognisable by the giant bottle monument at the edge of the village and the first wide view over the plain. Then come Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, the heart of the Chardonnay, where the most famous blanc de blancs houses have their plots. By way of Vertus you climb to Mont Aimé, a lone 240-metre butte with a panorama over the whole Côte as far as the plain of Châlons.

The Touren.app promise: a measured route, not a rough sketch. You get the kilometres, the honest driving time, a free GPX for your sat-nav and the route straight into Google Maps. The villages and Mont Aimé are free; for the cellars you book ahead. Drive out on the vineyard lane and return on the faster D9.

The route on the map

A schematic overview by Touren.app, not a navigation map. The exact route opens under “Drive this route” or in Google Maps. Map orientation: north is up.

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The 5 places along the route

1. Cramant

The start · the giant bottle of Cramant

Cramant is the gateway village of the Côte des Blancs, and nobody drives past it: at the edge stands a giant bottle monument some eight and a half metres tall, repainted in 2023, with a little belvedere garden and orientation tables beside it. From here you get the first wide view over the Chardonnay plain and the butte of Saran. A light-hearted start for the climb that follows.

Practical: the giant bottle and the belvedere garden are free, all year. Park in the village and walk the last stretch. As of 11 July 2026.

2. Avize

Grand cru · Avize

Avize is one of the great names of the Côte des Blancs: a grand cru village where the Chardonnay is at its purest. All around, the vineyards climb the chalk slope steeply; in the village stand the Gothic church and well-known blanc de blancs houses and a wine school. A good place to grasp why this strip is named apart.

Practical: the village and vineyards are free to see. Tastings are possible at several houses by booking (for example the Sanger tasting room from about 10 euros, often closed at weekends). As of 11 July 2026.

3. Le Mesnil-sur-Oger

The heart · Le Mesnil-sur-Oger

For many lovers Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is the absolute heart of the blanc de blancs: here lie the plots of the most legendary Chardonnay, including walled vineyards that are rarely public. What you can do is the Musée de la Vigne et du Vin Launois, where you see the old presses and tools and finish with a tasting. A quiet, real village in the middle of the chalk.

Practical: the great names (Salon, Krug, Clos du Mesnil) are not public. The Launois museum works by booking and lasts about two hours with a tasting; confirm the price when you book. As of 11 July 2026.

4. Vertus

The gateway to the butte · Vertus

Vertus closes the row of grand cru villages and is a Petite Cité de Caractère: an old town with the Romanesque church of Saint-Martin built over springs, some wash houses and a relaxed feel. It is the last stop before the climb to Mont Aimé, and a pleasant place for a coffee or lunch before you head up the butte.

Practical: the town and church are free to see. Park in the centre. From here it is another quarter of an hour to the foot of Mont Aimé. As of 11 July 2026.

5. Mont Aimé

The climax · Mont Aimé

Mont Aimé is the crown of the drive: a lone 240-metre butte that rises clear of the Côte, with an orientation table, an obelisk, the remains of a medieval castle and a panorama over the whole Chardonnay strip far into the plain. At the top it is free and open all year; you are often alone there, with the wind and the view.

Practical: the walking paths and the orientation table are confirmed and free. Car access is not officially confirmed: expect a narrow, winding access road and a free car park along the D9, and check access on the spot. You walk the last stretch to the top. As of 11 July 2026.

Practical: for a rental car, convertible or motorbike

Direction and loop: drive out southward on the vineyard lane through the villages, with the rising chalk slopes to Mont Aimé as the climax, and return on the faster D9 or D951. That way you avoid re-driving the narrow vineyard lane and see the fine stretch just once, in the right direction.

The roads: the route runs on narrow vineyard lanes through the chalk; the loose tracks between the plots are very narrow, so keep to the through D-roads (D9, D10). It is the slowest and most scenic drive of the cluster. In a convertible you want the roof open here.

Tasting and driving: France has a 0.5 g/L blood-alcohol limit, and 0.2 g/L for drivers with less than three years' licence. A glass of champagne goes a long way, so spread your tasting or use the crachoir: spitting after tasting is entirely normal at the houses. If someone rides with you, agree on who stays sober. To taste properly at several houses, a chauffeured tour from Épernay is the safest choice; drive the route yourself another day.

Best time: high season runs from May to October; during the grape harvest (September) the slopes are at their loveliest. The villages, the giant bottle of Cramant and Mont Aimé are free all year; for the Launois museum in Le Mesnil and the tasting rooms in Avize and Oger you book ahead, and note that some close at weekends.

Fuel and tolls: fill up in Épernay or Vertus. There are no tolls on this route; it runs entirely on free roads.

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