Duval-Leroy Brut 1996
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Wine Enthusiast
As they begin to mature, it's good to be reminded of the 1996 vintage. The initial austerity is now blossoming into finely balanced wines, even though the acidity is always going to be a dominant factor. This wine is still young, in fact, still with its fresh fruits, only just showing some mineral and toast character. Age for 10 years or more.
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Wine Spectator
Clean lines define this racy Champagne. Still very youthful, exhibiting lemon and toasted wheat flavors, with a hint of malt. Firms up on the finish, so give this time to unwind and strut its stuff. There's lovely texture and length. Best from 2010 through 2025.
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Wine & Spirits
An earth-bound 1996, this is powerful, broad and oxidative, with an ornate floral character to contrast the dense cream and toast flavors. It is still tightening up, needing time to develop.
Since 1859, Duval-Leroy family has been perfecting the quality of its champagne, balancing passion with an aesthetic sensibility. 160 years of family history, currently the 6th generation is in charge to lead the house towards excellence.
Feminine and Ambitious! One of the very few champagne houses led by a feminine duo. Carol Duval-Leroy the CEO is highly respected by her peers while Sandrilne Logette, the head winemaker is the keeper of Duval Leroy style creating champagnes both elegant and feminine.
The winery has been awarded one of the most prestigious organic certifications in France, Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE), Level 3, awarded by the French Ministry of Agriculture for its excellence, its respect for nature, biodiversity, and water management. Also, Duval- Leroy is the first House to create a certified organic Brut Champagne.It is in this product that one can feel the unique power and character which marks out a top-of-the-range champagne. Consistency, expertise and a creative spirit ensure a success which needs no further demonstration.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’