Winemaker Notes
Grapes are from the village of Chouilly. The vines were planted in 1964. The vineyards are worked in part by plough and then the ground is covered with bark in order to stop erosion and prevent weeds from sprouting. Herbicides are avoided at all costs. This cuvée is named after Stephane’s daughter.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Pouring a pale yellow hue, the NV Champagne Grand Cru Blanc De Blancs Cuvée Diane comes from Chouilly and offers bright notes of pear, lemon lime citrus, citrus blossoms, and bread dough. The palate is pure and inviting, with notes of key lime, candied citrus, pear, and fresh flowers. It’s a refreshing wine with fine bubbles and a clean finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The new release of Coquillette's NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Cuvée Diane is showing nicely, wafting from the glass with aromas of freshly baked bread, crisp green apple and dried white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and fine-boned, it's seamless and elegant, with racy but nicely integrated acids and a pinpoint mousse. This charming Champagne is already drinking well.
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Wine Spectator
Concentrated flavors of glazed apricot, spun honey, lemon curd and gingersnap biscuit are set on the creamy mousse of this balanced Champagne. Juicy acidity enlivens the pastry cream and smoke-tinged finish. Drink now through 2021. 8,000 cases made, 634 cases imported.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
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.’