Ratafia de Champagne is a traditional French mistelle produced within the Champagne delimited zone by adding grape spirit (marc de Champagne) to freshly pressed grape juice, preventing fermentation and preserving the natural sweetness of the fruit. Andre Heucq's Ratafia de Meunier draws exclusively on Pinot Meunier grapes from the estate's Cuisles vineyards, producing a liqueur that expresses the variety's characteristic warmth and red fruit character in an unfermented, naturally sweet format. The 500ml format is the standard presentation for Ratafia.

Ratafia de Champagne is protected under its own appellation and must be produced within the Champagne delimited region from grapes of the same zone. The spirit used to arrest fermentation is marc de Champagne, the pomace-derived spirit produced from the same vineyards, creating a product of genuinely local origin. Unlike wines and Champagnes, Ratafia does not undergo any secondary fermentation and retains a much higher residual sugar level than even the most concentrated still wines of the region.

The tradition of producing Ratafia in Champagne dates to at least the seventeenth century, when the liqueur served as a celebration drink at the completion of harvest agreements ('rati-fier' meaning to ratify or confirm). Andre Heucq's Ratafia de Meunier represents the estate's expression of this regional heritage, honouring the Pinot Meunier variety that defines Cuisles and the Vallee de la Marne's character in its most concentrated and directly enjoyable form.

Serve chilled at 8 to 10 degrees Celsius as an aperitif or digestif. Excellent alongside foie gras terrine, aged Epoisses, ripe melon or light fruit desserts. The half-bottle format suits intimate presentations or sharing across a small group.

Deep amber-red with Meunier's characteristic warmth. The nose is richly aromatic with red berries, cherry liqueur, warm spice and a subtle grape spirit note. The palate is sweet and lush with concentrated Meunier fruit and a long, warming finish. A genuinely regional speciality that expresses the Cuisles terroir in a different register from the sparkling range.