Valentin Leflaive : Verzenay Extra Brut 20 6.0

Characteristics and Tasting Advice for the Verzenay Extra Brut 20 6.0 by Valentin Leflaive

Tasting

Color
The color displays a magnificent salmon-pink tint.

Nose
The bouquet opens with aromas of small red berries, notably strawberries and raspberries, evolving towards citrus notes and toasty hints that bring complexity and refinement.

Palate
On the palate, this champagne charms with its finely chiselled and lace-like structure, exuding great elegance. It recalls the fruits of the nose with finesse and length, offering a perfect balance between generosity and freshness.

Food and Wine Pairings

This rosé champagne pairs perfectly with a mara des bois strawberry and rhubarb delight, enhanced by crystalline verbena.

Service and Aging

Ideally served at a temperature between 8°C and 10°C. This champagne should be enjoyed by around 2030 to fully appreciate its freshness and fruity expression.

A full-bodied and exquisitely precise Grand Cru rosé champagne from Verzenay

The Estate

The Maison de Champagne Valentin Leflaive was born from the meeting of two great French traditions: the Burgundian know-how of the Leflaive family and the prestigious terroir of Champagne. Created in 2015 by Olivier Leflaive, the renowned winemaker of Puligny-Montrachet, the house was established with the aim of transposing the excellence and precision of Burgundy's great white wines into the production of terroir-driven champagnes. The name Valentin belongs to Olivier's son, born in 2007.

The approach is parcel-based, exacting and resolutely focused on expressing the Chardonnay grape variety, primarily sourced from the Côte des Blancs (Avize, Mesnil-sur-Oger, etc.). Each cuvée reflects a unique identity, vinified in small volumes, with meticulous attention paid to aging (often partial in barrels), low dosages and aromatic purity. Valentin Leflaive thus embodies a pure, elegant style that appeals to connoisseurs of signature wines.

The Vineyard

The grapes used for this cuvée come exclusively from Grand Cru parcels in Verzenay, in the Champenois terroir of the Montagne de Reims. The 55-year-old vines are north-facing and planted on silty soils over chalk at 160 meters altitude.

Letters designate the grape variety and/or the parcel of each cuvée, while the numbers specify the years of the reserve wines used as well as the dosage. Thus, this cuvée was born from the Verzenay parcels; 2020 indicates the year of the base blend and, finally, 6.0 g is the sugar dosage per litre.

Winemaking and Aging

Hand-harvested grapes. After fractional pressing where the press fractions are separated and discarded, fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels. This rosé champagne was bottled in March 2021 and benefited from 31 months of aging on laths, thus developing its aromatic complexity.

Grape Variety

100% Pinot Noir.