We tasted: Diebolt-Vallois Fleur de Passion 2010

It’s not a hidden fact that we enjoy both, in a non-discriminatory way, big and small Champagne houses for their constancy and/or permanent search of perfection and innovation. This time we present you one of the top artisanal house from Cramant, Côte des Blancs: Diebolt-Vallois. A champagne house, that emerged as the result of the marriage between Jacques Diebolt and Nadia Vallois, both descendants of wine-involved families in Champagne. Even if Jacques Diebolt had been making champagne with his grandfather since 1959, the true foundation of Diebolt-Vallois house was in 1978, when the estate has been amplified and new cellars and winery were constructed. As a good family owned champagne house, both their sons, Arnaud and Isabelle, and Ophelie (Arnaud’s daughter), are now helping with running their 15 hectares estate and their production of 160,000 bottles each year. Using rather traditional methods (base wines spend at least 2 years in 4,000litters 50years old oak barrels) and taking advantage of the exquisite chalky soil (Cramant and Cuis), their cuvées are keeping intact the complexity and expression of the terroir. We tasted Fleur de Passion from 2010 which was a true delight for us, made from 7-8 East-South-East sun-oriented parcels (the oldest vines of the domaine, all over 40 years and some even over 60 years, notably the lieu-dit Les Buzons), fermented in cask without malolactic fermentation, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. This Grand Cru cuvée has an impressive minerality and its chalkiness is beautiful integrated. Lively fine mousse and subtle, elegant notes of white flowers, lemon peel, brioche and vanilla make this wine an elegant and intense, aromatic and vibrant champagne. Some hint of salinity too. The aftertaste is long in terms of persistency and perfume. We tasted it alongside a plate of freshly cut Tête-de-Moine cheese which made a superb pairing.

This is a cuvée with an excellent drinkability now, but it can also be kept for several more years.