Diebolt-Vallois, Brut Tradition
Champagne, France MV (750mL)
Regular price$45.00
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Diebolt-Vallois, Brut Tradition
Very few producers have the pedigree to be labeled “region-defining,” yet Diebolt-Vallois has consistently made a bulletproof case that they’re bottling the best-value Champagne on the market. Any Champagne book worth its salt will have a dedicated section roped off for Diebolt’s five-star lineup of cuvées, as evidenced by luminary Peter Liem who touts them as “one of the most iconic and highly respected growers” in his newest publication. If you call yourself a Champagne fanatic, you’ve certainly enjoyed one of their signatures Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) before, but I’d hazard a guess that you haven’t had the opportunity or fortune to experience the bottle currently in front of you.
Why? Other than their rosé, only five cuvées are handcrafted at Diebolt-Vallois and only one isn’t entirely made from Chardonnay: today’s “Tradition.” The Vallois family has cultivated vines in the Côte des Blancs for an inconceivable six centuries, and for the past six decades, they’ve mastered the exacting art of authentic Blanc de Blancs. As of recent, however, they’ve discreetly had their hands in Pinot Noir and Meunier vines, and today’s rarely seen “Tradition” is the breathtaking result. It’s impeccably sourced, long-aged, and judiciously dosed as always, but now with a harmonious blend of three noble grapes instead of one. Each powerful sip radiates with minerality, opulence, and unrivaled class, leading me to say what’s been said before: No table or cellar is complete without Diebolt-Vallois!
Why? Other than their rosé, only five cuvées are handcrafted at Diebolt-Vallois and only one isn’t entirely made from Chardonnay: today’s “Tradition.” The Vallois family has cultivated vines in the Côte des Blancs for an inconceivable six centuries, and for the past six decades, they’ve mastered the exacting art of authentic Blanc de Blancs. As of recent, however, they’ve discreetly had their hands in Pinot Noir and Meunier vines, and today’s rarely seen “Tradition” is the breathtaking result. It’s impeccably sourced, long-aged, and judiciously dosed as always, but now with a harmonious blend of three noble grapes instead of one. Each powerful sip radiates with minerality, opulence, and unrivaled class, leading me to say what’s been said before: No table or cellar is complete without Diebolt-Vallois!
Jacques Diebolt, the grand old man of Cramant, has been making wine for 60 years now, but his family has thrived in Grand Cru Cramant since the 1800s, and Nadia Vallois’ ancestors have cultivated vines in neighboring 1er Cru Cuis since the 1400s. So, it should go without saying that a small-scale dynasty was formed with their marriage. Today, along with their children Isabelle and Arnaud, the domaine has become synonymous with magnificent Champagne that goes head-to-head with the very best.
The newest release of Diebolt-Vallois’ “Tradition” has their signature Chardonnay backbone (45%) with a healthy portion of Pinot Noir (45%) and a touch of Meunier (10%) hailing from mature vineyards in and around Côte des Blancs and Epernay. On the back label, you’ll see “Tirage: 2015.” Here’s what it means: the liqueur de tirage is a blend of yeast and sugar to the base wine that kickstarts the secondary fermentation in bottle. Typically this occurs in the early stage of the year, so from this, you can accurately infer the base vintage is 2014. Additionally, this bottling also holds a healthy percentage of reserve wine from the 2013 and 2012 vintages.
Grapes were hand-harvested from estate-owned vines and the ripe crop was sent to their winery in Cramant where fermentation, both alcoholic and malolactic, occurred in stainless steel vessels. After assembling the final blend, the wine matured in bottle for over four years. It was disgorged in July of 2019 and given a light dosage of just six grams/liter. Just over 300 cases produced for the entire world!
Impressively, the 40-something-months aging period for Brut “Tradition” is nearly three times the AOC requirement for a ‘non-vintage’ bottling, and that extra dose of patience is certainly noticeable in the final product: The wine is incredibly full, fresh, and layered with an underlying creaminess to its crystalline minerality. Once it’s had a few minutes to breathe, it blasts out high-toned notes of creamy yellow apple, Rainier cherry, yellow plum, white peach, redcurrant, pineapple, salt-preserved chalk, toasted nuts, oyster shell, and wonderfully rich layers of brioche. As always with serious Champagnes, I find great pleasure in allowing lots of the carbonation to dissipate because what lies beneath is raw beauty and sublime power. Yes, we want the fine mousse and effervescence (that’s what makes Champagne, well, Champagne), but too many producers hide behind the bubbles in order to mask imperfections. You won’t find any of that here. Diebolt-Vallois is a bonafide master and each release is the epitome of class and quality. A touch richer, creamier, and fuller thanks to generously ripe Pinot Noir and Meunier, this is everything one could ask for in an elite ‘NV’ Champagne. I advise serving in all-purpose stems around 50 degrees and consuming over several hours to track its beautiful evolution. Cheers!
