Champagne Duval-Leroy Press File
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For more than a century, the Duval-Leroy Champagne House has been creating refreshing, well-crafted, refined wines—the kind of wine you want to bring to parties, dinners or brunches. Today, this family-owned independent grower-producer is spreading the word about its Champagnes, which are already greatly appreciated by food enthusiasts and winelovers.
Transcript of Champagne Duval-Leroy Press File
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CONTENTS
a wOmaN iN ChargE Of CrEaTiNg ChampagNES Of CharaCTEr
ThE family ESTaTE
iNNOvaTiON ThrOugh iNdEpENdENCE
ThE fEmiNiNE TOuCh
ThE STylE Of duval-lErOy
rECOgNiTiON
ThE SpiriT Of iNNOvaTiON
maiNTaiNiNg ThE family TradiTiON
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a wOmaN iN ChargE Of CrEaTiNg ChampagNES Of CharaCTEr
In 1991, Carol Duval-Leroy, the wife of Jean-Charles Duval-Leroy and mother of their three young sons, found herself on the premature death of her husband assuming responsibility for their family-owned Cham-pagne House. In the last twenty years this far-sighted woman has guided the House smoothly into the Third Millennium.
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ThE family ESTaTE
Since 1859, from a base at the southern end of the Cote des Blancs, the region of great chardonnays, the Duval-Leroy family has built up the most excellent estate in the Premiers Crus of Champagne. The status of the House is due to the contribution of successive generations of the fa-mily, but mainly to Raymond and Roger Duval-Leroy who consistently made great efforts and sacrifices to establish the House as the leading House of the Cote des Blancs.
Duval-Leroy’s vineyards comprise 200 hectares under cultivation which supply one third of the company’s grape requirements. The re-mainder comes exclusively from the purchase of grapes and must du-ring the harvest from close to one hundred press-houses. Duval-Leroy owns vineyards in all the Grand Cru villages of the Cote des Blancs and is very well established in the “Grands Noirs” villages of the Montagne de Reims. Vineyards cultivated by the House in the Premier Cru and Grand Cru villages make up 40% of the total estate – an exceptional proportion amongst the Champagne Houses.
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iNNOvaTiON ThrOugh iNdEpENdENCE
Carol Duval-Leroy and Michel Oliveira, the Managing Director res-ponsible for the Estate, have developed a unique way of running the property using a precise and lasting style of viticulture which respects the environment. For three years Duval-Leroy has been the only House to offer a Brut Champagne made with Bio-agricultural techniques.
Duval-Leroy has the state-of-the-art equipment to guarantee excellence and to establish its place as the leader in innovation in Champagne. An ultra-modern winery provides the ideal area for keeping the various crus of the House. The cellar for keeping the wines in barrel has been completely redesigned and rebuilt for the vinification of the Grands Crus… all of which provides aesthetic attraction to the onlooker. And finally, the Tasting Room can give any visitor at any time an unforget-table experience. This new building is the only one in Champagne to incorporate photovoltaic panels, a system for retrieving rainwater and complete soundproofing by a wall planted with vegetation.
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ThE fEmiNiNE TOuCh
Through her character and her approach, Carol Duval-Leroy asserts her standpoint and her femininity. She has always been convinced that the excellence of Duval-Leroy stems from three things: exercising care over the assets, striving for perfection, and passing on excellence.
She has added an extra touch of femininity with her Winemaker, Sandrine Logette-Jardin. A trained oenologist, Sandrine was appointed in 1991 to the post of Quality Manager, where she enabled Duval-Leroy to become the first wine company in the world to be awarded the ISO 9002 certification (covering expertise in quality, production and after-sales service). Having become Head Winemaker, Sandrine Logette-Jardin, the only woman of that rank in Champagne, has gone on to develop batch vinification which permits the increase in the range of wines in the blends, and, at the same time, has renewed the barrel stock by conducting a rigorous choice of wood, charring and cooperage. This work is detailed and exacting, in the constant search for perfection.
Carol Duval-Leroy and Sandrine Logette-Jardin wish to create cham-pagnes in their image, both elegant and feminine. Together they have used a fresh, innovative approach as opposed to the standard methods to create an exceptional champagne: Femme de Champagne.
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The symbol of the whole expertise of the House of Duval-Leroy, Cuvee Femme de Champagne is blended exclusively from parcels of Grand Cru grapes and is only made in exceptional years. The Vintages from 1990, 1995 and 1996 have been followed by the Vintage 2000. An unforgettable tasting experience, this cuvee is a true reflection of its creator, Carol Duval-Leroy: of the highest standard, generous and pas-sionate. Femme de Champagne is an expression of the blending of the best parcels of Chardonnay from the Cote des Blancs and of Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims.
Like a maker of perfumes, Sandrine Logette-Jardin assembles the aromas of the year and blends them in a unique fashion to create Cu-vee Femme de Champagne in accordance with Carol Duval-Leroy’s concept: vibrant, stunning and unforgettable. Such nectar can only be presented in an exceptional bottle.
In a golden-pearl colour, a discreet, lightly textured label with a modern yet timeless design, sits beneath a monogram designed by Jean-Charles Duval-Leroy embracing all the spirit of the Cuvee Femme de Cham-pagne. Embossed on the neck of the bottle, it includes the initials of Julien, Charles and Louis, the children of this independent and united family House, proud of its roots.
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ThE STylE Of duval-lErOy
Elegant, with minerality and brilliance. These are the qualities which the House of Duval-Leroy has created in getting the very best out of the sensitive and demanding chardonnay grape. Of a pure and fragrant complexity, it is the basis for the excellence of all the blends.
The birth of the wines of Champagne begins with the pressure of devo-ting attention to the division and the drawing off of the musts. The alco-holic fermentation is controlled at a low and stable temperature to opti-mise the aromatic complexity of the wines. Malolactic fermentation encouraged in a blend of cuvees gives to the Champagne all its supple-ness and gives birth to the first aromas of brioche. Carol Duval-Leroy and her Head Winemaker evaluate the conditions in the vineyards and the particular aspects of the year and design for the cuvees aromas and structures which are new to Champagne. Each year they taste close to 250 vats, making 15 cuvees from up to three Champagne grape varie-ties and from forty different vineyard sources.
The wines are then put in bottle for a second fermentation, called the “prise de mousse” or “formation of bubbles” before maturing in the silence of the cellars at 12 degrees for 3 years in the case of non-vintage cuvees and not less than 10 years for Femme de Champagne.
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rECOgNiTiON
IN THE CHAMPAGNE REGION:The first woman to be nominated for the presidency of the Association of
Champagne Wine Producers from 2007 to 2010, Carol Duval-Leroy has
redirected the development of information about Champagne, proving yet
again the correctness of her intuitions. Her directness and her involvement
have brought a breath of fresh air to this historic institution which is the
vehicle for the transmission of technical information in Champagne and
the guarantor of the safe-guarding of the Champagne ethic.
IN GASTRONOMy:The House of Duval-Leroy is a by word in the top levels of gastronomy
for excellent and creative champagnes. With the renown granted by the
support given by sommeliers, the House of Duval-Leroy has furthered
the quest for excellence since the creation in 2000 of a sommelier section
in the competition to select One of the Best Workers of France (MOF).
By the same token, the House of Duval-Leroy has joined with the Union of French
Sommeliers to support the Duval-Leroy Trophy for the Best young Sommelier
in France and takes part in the search for the best emerging talents amongst som-
meliers. The Duval-Leroy Trophy for the Best young Sommelier in France is a
chance for all these talents to test themselves against other professionals. The
House also organises the Carol Duval-Leroy Trophy – Dessert of the year Com-
petition which has the prestige to become a spring board for French pastry chefs.
IN INTERNATIONAL MARkETS:A true international business globetrotter, Carol Duval-Leroy has very quickly
developed the presence of the House internationally. An ambassadress for
Champagne, she has opened six international offices to renew the tradition of
opening new markets and the first successes of Duval-Leroy at the Universal
Exhibitions of the 19th Century. Export markets today represent 60% of all sales.
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ThE SpiriT Of iNNOvaTiON
Carol Duval-Leroy is constant in her efforts to refresh and improve the stan-ding of the House. Tirelessly she explains all the experiences of tasting: Clos des Bouveries, an oenoclimatic cuvee:
The House of Duval-Leroy heightens the insights gained through tasting with Clos des Bouveries. This historic parcel of land owned by the Duval-Leroy family is situated mid-slope and faces due East. Its treatment in the cellars is unique, in that this one vineyard, one grape (Chardonnay) cuvee is vintaged each year and vinified partly in oak barrels.
Duval-Leroy analyses the climatic and agricultural data from the Clos des Bouveries daily. These precious details are registered in the movement to-wards a precise approach to viticulture established by Duval-Leroy for the protection of the environment and of the vines. This unique work allows an understanding of the effect of climatic changes on the vines and the wines so that the environmental challenges of the coming thirty years can be met.
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The philosophy of vintaging each year, treating the great years in the same way as the “less good” ones provides a unique teaching aid in Champagne. Sommeliers, wine experts and those with passion and vision will discover a new level of tasting in the novel vertical climatic method and the unusual techniques. The visionary approach and the oenological knowledge of Carol Duval-Leroy and of the House of Duval-Leroy place Clos des Bouveries among the most prestigious cuvees in Champagne.
On the subject of champagne and food matching, Carol Duval-Leroy was the first to devise a rose champagne, called “Lady Rose”, made in colla-boration with Pierre Herme for pairing with all types of desserts. This rose champagne combines two local techniques in its preparation: Pinots Noirs vinified through a process of maceration are blended with still wines made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to give them elegance, finesse and com-plexity. Through tastings and a series of adjustments it was possible to find the right level of dosage which could enhance all desserts.
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maiNTaiNiNg ThE family TradiTiON
Carol Duval-Leroy took from her father-in-law and her husband “the will to take care of the House”. To look after it means taking each day as a way of passing on her experience to her children. Her three sons, today at her side, are being imbued with passion and energy for this family enterprise. During the twenty years which have just passed by Carol Duval-Leroy has consolidated and developed her property, while strongly encouraging excellence and consistently avoiding ostentation.
Today Champagne Duval-Leroy is distributed in more than 70 countries and more than 250 starred restaurants. A person of vision, with a strong character and remarkable energy, Carol Duval-Leroy continues to launch herself into new projects which will surely expand further the gastronomic and intellectual boundaries of Champagne.
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