Winemaker Notes
Le Léon is one of the same trio of exceptional plot-based cuvées and is the most precise expression of the Ay terroir, the most chalky of the Pinot Noir crus, which makes the resulting wine remarkably unpretentious.Apvril Le Philipponnat owned vines at Le Léon, between Ay and Dizy, in as early as 1522. Along with the Clos des Goisses, this plot is the birthplace of the Philipponnat vineyards.The nose is expressive and intense. Initially spicy, it is reminiscent of gingerbreadand honey; then, fruity aromas of mango and exotic fruit are revealed. Whenswirled, lightly smoky notes of tobacco and honey appear.Fruity and generous, it expresses notes of fruit, blackberry and guava, with ahint of vanilla. The saline finish offers lovely length with subtle delicate bitter notes and light hints of bergamot.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Champagne Le Leon Aÿ Extra Brut pours a medium copper/straw color and is expressive on the nose but has a more floral and mineral aromatic profile compared to the La Rémissonne. It offers a slightly toastier profile with soft umami notes as well as porcini, red plum, and orange peel. The palate has a good deal of structure and more depth, with a more profound and intense mineral persistence and drive as well as a very long finish. It demands time in the cellar as it’s a more tension-packed wine. Drink 2027-2047.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Crafted entirely from Pinot Noir and planted on the very steep slope of Le Léon parcel in Dizy, Philipponnat's 2015 Le Léon displays a solar, complex bouquet of spices, red berries, guava, white fruits, spices and baked bread. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's rich and dense, with a more austere, phenolic mid-palate than La Rémissonne and a long, chalky, beautifully fine-boned and mineral finish accompanied by a delicate gastronomic bitterness. Disgorged with 4.5 grams per liter dosage and produced at only 3,732 bottles, this is one of my favorites in the lineup. It was vinified in barrels with no malolactic fermentation.
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Wine Spectator
Sleek and graceful, with a mouthwatering spine of acidity married to a finely meshed range of spiced blackberry and black cherry fruit, blood orange peel, raspberry pâte de fruit and golden raisin. Rich notes of toast point and chalky mineral are carried on the refined, lively mousse through the long finish.
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Decanter
As a counterpoint to fleshy, fluid La Rémissonne, Aÿ's famous Le Léon vineyard yields a relatively chiseled, chalky Pinot Noir that hides plenty of driving intensity in 2015's firm frame and deep-coloured ripeness. Ripe raspberry, dried apple and peppery, briny savour promise even more complexity, given time. Patience will be welcome, as the tightly packed palate unwinds over the coming five years.
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James Suckling
Rich, ripe nose of yellow apple with lemon zest and toastiness. Fine mousse with zesty, high, integrated acidity, full body, very elegant extraction and a lifted finish. 100% pinot noir. Disgorged in 2023. Dosage 4.5g/L Drink or hold.
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Vinous
The 2015 Extra Brut Le Léon shows all the stature, power and intensity of Aÿ. White pepper, mint and chalk give the 2015 its brilliant upper register of aromatics. Readers will have to be patient though, as the 2015 needs time to settle down. Time in the glass allows some of its breadth to come through. The 2015 was fermented in oak, with blocked malolactic fermentation. It’s an absolutely gorgeous Champagne from Philipponnat. Dosage is 4.25 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 2023.
The Philipponnat family have been growing grapes in Champagne since 1522. The House was founded in 1910 by Pierre Philipponnat. Charles Philipponnat took over as CEO in 1999 and has improved the quality and production vastly by implementing smaller oak barrels, keeping different vineyard plots separate and utilizing only the first press. The jewel in the crown of the House is the historic and iconic 5.5 hectares 'Clos des Goisses' vineyard that sits on a steep, south-facing 45° slope starting at the Marne River. This is one of the warmest vineyard sites in all of Champagne and is planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In 1935 'Clos des Goisses' was the first single vineyard Champagne produced and it would take over 50 years for other Houses to start producing serious Champagne just from a single Clos.
Philipponnat applies natural methods to work the soil, hoeing by hand and plowing with horses. The House's expertise is particularly apparent in its use of the solera process. This technique is a very longstanding House tradition; it consists of keeping reserve wines in oak barrels and including them in non-vintage blends (in a proportion of one quarter to one third) and using this blend as a reserve wine for the following blend.
This progressive dilution allows every bottle to retain a trace of previous years' wines blended since the very beginning. Successive Cellar Masters have attached great importance to handing down this expertise. Philipponnat was the first Champagne House to indicate the main year used in its non-vintage blends, the dosage, and the date of disgorgement on back labels, informing consumers and wine experts of the characteristics of each cuvée.
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.’