Description
Diebolt-Vallois, Blanc de Blancs
Here’s a game for you: Open any Champagne book that’s been published over the past half-century, flip to Diebolt-Vallois, and you’ll be met with red-hot reviews. They are “one of the most iconic and highly respected growers in the Côte des Blancs,” says Champagne guru Peter Liem, and you’d be hard-pressed to find any connoisseur that disagrees. When it comes to extracting the pure chalk soils of this hallowed region and finessing them into an elite bottle of Blanc de Blancs Champagne, Diebolt-Vallois is the “go-to” source.
If you call yourself a Champagne fanatic and have yet to drink this time-honored signature cuvée, then go ahead and attach “in training” to your title. Here’s why: The Vallois family has cultivated vines in the Côte de Blancs for an inconceivable six centuries, and for the past six decades, have mastered the art of today’s benchmark Blanc de Blancs. It’s a blend of 100% Chardonnay from Premier Cru Cuis and Grand Crus Chouilly and Cramant. Every sip profoundly speaks to each legendary terroir, and does so at an eye-poppingly low price. No table or cellar is complete without a few bottles of Diebolt—that’s a guaranteed fact!
With Jacques Diebolt’s family having lived in Grand Cru Cramant since the 1800s and Nadia Vallois’ ancestors cultivating vines in neighboring Premier Cru Cuis since the 1400s, a small-scale dynasty formed with their marriage. Now, with their children Isabelle and Arnaud alongside them, the domaine has become synonymous with magnificent Blanc de Blancs Champagne that can go head-to-head with the very best.
The freshest release of Diebolt-Vallois’ Blanc de Blanc is pure Chardonnay based on the 2015 vintage and a small percentage of older reserves. Grapes are hand-harvested from estate-owned vines and the fresh crop is sent to their winery in Cramant, where fermentation—both alcoholic and malolactic—occurs in stainless steel vessels. After assembling the blend, the wine then matured in bottle for 30+ months prior to disgorgement, which was carried out in August of 2018. This special bottling saw a lower dosage than is typical here—just four grams/liter—which allows for a more transparent look at the brilliant chalk terroir of Côte des Blancs.
This nearly three-year aging period is twice as long as the AOC requirement for a ‘non-vintage’ bottling and that extra dose of patience is certainly rewarded in the final product. Diebolt-Vallois’ Blanc de Blancs reveals a bright straw-yellow core with a dazzling platinum sheen, highlighted by the wine’s vigorous mousse. Once the wine has a few minutes to breathe, it releases intense crushed chalk aromas alongside yellow apple skin, peach, preserved lemon, white flowers, fresh brioche, stirred lees, and citrus blossoms. On the palate, the wine broadens as carbonation is shed, further boosting its savory white-yellow fruit, bread dough, and distinctly chiseled minerality. Overall, it’s a delicious bottle of Champagne and a perfect representation of the hallowed Côte des Blancs region. Please note that service temperature, glassware, and a bit of patience is the key to enjoyment: I advise serving in all-purpose stems or flared tulips around 50-55 degrees and consuming over several hours (to track its beautiful evolution as the bubbles dissipate). Also note that this new disgorgement has nothing but time on its side—it will delight anyone, be it now or in 3-5 years. Cheers!
