Oger

Grand Cru commune · Côte des Blancs

Oger is one of the 17 Grand Cru communes of the Champagne AOC and lies in the Côte des Blancs.1,2 Its 401.90 ha of vines are almost entirely Chardonnay (400.20 ha).2

Location

Oger lies in the Côte des Blancs. The Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC) places it in the Côte des Blancs sub-zone proper.2 This narrower Côte des Blancs sub-zone counts 10 villages, 2,357 operators and 3,190.50 ha of vines, 97.22% of them Chardonnay.5 The Côte des Blancs is a chalk-covered ridge that runs from north-east to south-west, at right angles to the Marne Valley, along the edge of the Brie plateau for 10-15 km.5 Oger is now a commune déléguée of Blancs-Coteaux.3 The UMC sheet calls it an island in a sea of vines.2

Vineyard

The UMC village sheet lists 215 operators working 401.90 ha of vines in Oger (reference year not stated).2 Part of the vines belongs to the vineyards of 8 Champagne houses: Ayala, Delamotte, Krug, Laurent-Perrier, Louis Roederer, Moët & Chandon, Salon and Veuve Clicquot.2

VarietyArea, ha
Chardonnay400.20
Pinot Noir1.70
Total401.90

History and heritage

The Romanesque porch-belfry of the Saint-Laurent church dates from the 12th and 13th centuries; washhouses and fountains recall the village's past, and street names recall a former fortified castle.2 A manor house there belonged to the statesman Léon Bourgeois.2 Bourgeois received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1920 and died at the Château d'Oger on 29 September 1925.6

Grand cru status

The Champagne specification lists Oger among the 17 Marne communes whose wines may carry "grand cru" and also "premier cru"; 42 further communes may use "premier cru" only.1 Under the échelle des crus, "grand cru" meant vineyards rated 100% and "premier cru" vineyards rated 90-99%.4 The mention is not a separate appellation: the general Champagne rules apply, including at least 15 months from tirage before release and 36 months for vintage wines.1

See also

ChampagneRegionsCôte des BlancsRegionsgrand cruGlossaryéchelle des crusGlossaryChardonnayGrapesBlanc de blancsStylesChampagne label codes: NM, RM, CM, RC, SR, ND, MAStyles

Sources

  1. Cahier des charges de l'AOP « Champagne » - modifications approved by the INAO national committee on 11 September 2024 (national opposition procedure text) (2024-09-11)
  2. Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC). Village sheet: Oger (region, terroir, agricultural holding by variety, heritage)
  3. API Découpage administratif (geo.api.gouv.fr, French government, COG INSEE data). Communes associées et déléguées: Ay, Bisseuil, Mareuil-sur-Ay (chef-lieu 51030 Aÿ-Champagne); Louvois (chef-lieu 51564 Val de Livre); Oger (chef-lieu 51612 Blancs-Coteaux)
  4. Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC). Labeling
  5. Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC). The Côte des Blancs (geographical area, sub-zone table)
  6. Nobel Prize Outreach (nobelprize.org). Léon Bourgeois: Biographical (Nobel Peace Prize 1920)

Facts checked on 2026-10-20