Fodor's Expert Review Mercier

A tour here will take you for a 20-minute ride on a laser-guided electric train with commentary provided by an audio guide that gives insight into the Champagne-making process. Admire the giant 200,000-bottle oak barrel it took 24 oxen three weeks to cart to the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889, and the decorative wall sculptures by Gustave Navlet. A panoramic elevator down to (and up from) the cellars is a welcome plus. A chilled glass of bubbly awaits at the end of the tour. There is a choice of three different tastings, and one of the options includes a Blanc de Noirs (made using only black-skinned grapes).