France: Valentin Leflaive - Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs CV1830, Champagne (Culture Raisonnée)

Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay. 12.5% alcohol. 

Classified as Extra Brut, meaning this is drier than most Champagnes with only 3g/L of sugar added in the dosage.

The fruit is sourced from the Côte des Blancs villages of Cramant and Vertus; the Côte des Blancs begins a few kilometres to the south of Epernay and is dedicated to growing Chardonnay due to its chalky soils, hence its name ('white slopes').

As an aside, chalk is so highly prized as its high pH somewhat counter-intuitively results in low pH wines, and the lower the pH of a wine, the greater its acidity, vital for high-quality, refreshing and ageworthy sparkling.

Chalk also has the added benefit of being free-draining - crucial for vines as they don't like getting their 'feet' wet (and they will eventually die in waterlogged soils) - but akin to a sponge chalk also holds a good amount of water, meaning that during periods of drought the vines do not suffer excessive water stress and send their roots down deep into the soil in search of the stored water and other nutrients (which the vines have to work hard to access). 

Leflaive is a legendary name in the wine world, if more closely associated with nearby Burgundy. The family are famed for their mastery of Chardonnay and decided in 2015 to establish a boutique winery dug deep into the chalk in the celebrated village of Oger to produce it in sparkling form.

Champagne is dominated by corporate behemoths but there are many fantastic boutique producers such as Leflaive that offer so much interest, with the many qualitative and sustainability benefits of small-scale winemaking.

A proportion of this wine was aged in barrels previously used for ageing the family's Puligny-Montrachet & Montrachet wines. Already one of the area's most exciting producers.

Leflaive practice 'Culture Raisonnée' - meaning a strong focus on environmental stewardship and biodiversity.

Food Pairing:

Oysters, seared scallops, lobster, firm-fleshed white fish, sushi and sashimi, caviar-topped canapés, crisp fried chicken, pork or mild, soft cheeses.

What the critics say:

93 points - James Suckling: "elegant and invigorating, this is the perfect aperitif. Attractive notes of walnuts, pears, ginger, honey and apple crumble. Rich, round and delicious, with a medium body, fine bubbles and vibrant acidity cutting through the caressing pastry notes. Disgorged March 2023. 3g/L dosage".