SIDEQUEST: The Arbane Grape Quest

Less than 12 hectares of Arbane exist on Earth. Hunt this nearly-extinct grape across multiple producers: Drappier (controls 75%), Moutard (kept the tradition alive from 1952), Alexandre Bonnet (7 Cépages project). Compare different expressions of the world's rarest champagne grape.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Taste Arbane at Drappier Wine · Price: moderate

   Drappier controls 75% of global Arbane production

   Drappier controls 75% of all Arbane on Earth — Michel Drappier saved it from extinction, and their Arbane cuvée is the benchmark for this nearly-lost grape. Book ahead at Champagne Drappier (Urville) and request specifically: "Je voudrais goûter l'Arbane."

   Backup: If Arbane is sold out, taste Quatuor (contains Arbane with 3 other rare grapes).

   Log Memory
2. 2 Hunt the Grape That Nearly Died History · Price: moderate · Optional

   Discover how Moutard saved Arbane from extinction since 1952

   1952: when French growers were ripping out Arbane vines as "uneconomical," Lucien Moutard quietly kept his heritage nursery alive at Champagne Moutard (Buxeuil). That one choice saved the grape — without Moutard, Arbane would be extinct today. Call ahead (+33 3 25 38 50 73) and ask about their heritage rescue story, then taste the cuvée that represents a single-family act of preservation.

   Backup: If no Arbane available, their documentation of the rescue is itself the story.

   Log Memory
3. 3 Discover Alexandre Bonnet's 7 Cépages Wine · Price: high · Optional

   A living museum of all 7 permitted Champagne varieties including Arbane

   The "7 Cépages" project at Alexandre Bonnet (Les Riceys) plants all 7 permitted champagne varieties in one vineyard — including Arbane — creating a living museum of champagne's genetic diversity. Book a visit and ask specifically about the 7 Cépages project to see rare grapes growing side by side.

   Backup: Even without the project visit, ask to taste any Arbane-containing cuvée.

   Log Memory
4. 4 Compare Your Notes Wine · Free · Optional

   Synthesize your Arbane tastings and explore how terroir shapes this rare grape

   You've now tasted Arbane from multiple producers — time to compare your notes over dinner in Troyes. How does terroir affect this rare grape? Which expression spoke to you? Write tasting notes at each stop, discuss your discoveries over dinner, buy bottles of your favorites to extend the quest.

   Backup: Even one Arbane tasting completes the quest - multiple is the deep version.

   Log Memory

Insider tips

• Drappier is the most accessible - start here

• Arbane tastes different from mainstream grapes - more mineral, less fruit

• The grape nearly went extinct in the mid-20th century

• Club Oenologique has an excellent article on Arbane revival

• Buy bottles when you find them - Arbane champagne is genuinely rare

• Alexandre Bonnet's 7 Cépages project is for serious wine geeks