Location and origins
Champagne Valentin Leflaive is based in the commune of Oger in the Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France. The Maison was founded in 2015 as a Champagne project with ties to the Leflaive family from Puligny-Montrachet and was recognised in 2020 as a Négociant-Manipulant.
Style and vinification
The house produces Champagne-de-Lieux cuvées that indicate specific origins at parcel or cru level. The Champagnes express Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; documented Blanc-de-Blancs cuvées consist entirely of Chardonnay at 100 percent. The traditional ageing cellar is dug in chalk.
Origin and labelling
In the label code, colour indicates the grape variety style, letters denote terroir or cuvée, and numbers specify the vintage of the base wine and dosage. A dosage of 3.0 g/l is listed as Extra Brut; the last number indicates the sugar content in grams per litre.
Documented Grand-Cru cuvées
The Oger Grand-Cru cuvée comes 100 percent from Oger Grand Cru. The vines, with an average age of 55 years, are oriented to the south-east on clay-and-limestone chalk soils at an altitude of 130 metres and are farmed sustainably. The grapes are hand-harvested and pressed fractionally, with the tailles separated and discarded. Fermentation takes place in stainless-steel vessels and oak barrels; 10 percent reserve wines and 31 months’ ageing on the lees are documented.
The Le-Mesnil-sur-Oger Grand-Cru cuvée comes from chalk and flint soils at an altitude of 150 metres. The vines, with an average age of 20 years, are oriented to the south to south-east and are farmed sustainably. The cuvée is fermented in stainless-steel vessels from hand-harvested grapes, contains 12 percent reserve wines and ages for 50 months on the lees.
