Visit Domaine Diebolt-Vallois

BEAUTIFUL REGION

• A few miles south of Epernay, Cramant is the first village of the quartet prestigious Côte des Blancs: Cramant – Avize – Oger – Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. It is certainly one of the finest terroirs of Champagne, with its chalky slopes facing east, often topped by a small forest, which plays a thermoregulatory role. Here is the realm of vintage Champagne Blanc de Blancs, Chardonnay which shows one of its finest expressions.
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  Like other fields, the vineyards of Champagne Diebolt-Vallois has made over time, depending on the alliances and marriages. Jacques Diebolt learned his trade from his grandfather who owned five acres of vines Cramant . After a first attempt to make wine from 1959 to 1964 for its own account, it was not until 1978 that the field will take its real start with the construction of vast cellars in front of the home. Jacques Diebolt now manages the estate with his son and daughter.

Today, the area totals a little over 10 acres, many plots forming a beautiful mosaic of soils:

• Cramant for vintage Fleur de Passion
• Cramant and Chouilly for Prestige Blanc de Blancs
  and Vintage,

• Kitchen and Epernay in the Blanc de Blancs.

With his son who takes care of the vines, Jacques Diebolt knows all his plots he vinified separately. This great knowledge of the terroir combined with a rigorous winemaking is certainly one of the foundations of quality Champagne Diebolt-Vallois.

Just a few minutes to talk with Jacques Diebolt to capture the passion that animates it to develop its wine Passion Flower: a wine that’s definitely lives up to its name! Spearheading the field in terms of quality, passion flower has become in a few years one of the most sought after champagnes.

FOR THEIR P ASSION

This batch of top-flight began in the 90s. Is enjoying his regular vintage in 1953 along with leading experts in the wine that Jacques Diebolt had the idea to remake a vintage as methods used by his grandfather. Thus, the first vintage flower Passion was 1995.

Only the best parcels of Cramant are used for flower of passion: “the best of the best”. Replanted in the 60s, these vineyards are now very elderly, especially by the standards of the Champagne, and yields are naturally low and complex expressions. The wine is vinified and aged in barrels in order to investigate the complexity, harmony and length. They are a burgundy barrels of wine, new oak are avoided in order not to mark the wines too. Malolactic fermentation is avoided, as well as filtration, the passages in the cold, everything is likely to strain the wine.

At the tasting, Passion Flower is truly remarkable. Swedish Richard Juhlin, probably the world’s largest specialist champagne, the list among the 20 best champagnes in the middle of Krug, Dom Perignon, Bollinger and Roederer other. For my part, Passion Flower, 2000, tasted a few months before my visit, had greatly impressed and 2002, enjoyed the area, will certainly surpass it: while it is still too young, including a nose yet fully in place, it is already wonderful in the mouth, at once creamy, delicate and powerful, showing a truly enchanting harmony.

Besides Passion Flower, the rest of the line also deserves our attention with a Blanc de Blancs, which is more than just champagne and entry-level, one notch above a Prestige Blanc de Blancs really delicious which, like the vintage, is representative of the style of the house and its wonderful terroir. These are champagnes that is fun to delight.