Femme de Champagne Grand Cru

Femme de Champagne Grand Cru is Duval-Leroy's prestige cuvée and shows what patience in the cellar can achieve. It is 87 per cent Chardonnay from grand cru sites, including Mont-Aigu in Chouilly, Chapelle d'Avize, Terre de Noël in Oger, and Chétillon and Aillerand in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Each parcel is vinified separately. The remaining 13 per cent Pinot Noir is aged in oak barrels, which gives the wine structure and suppleness. The cuvée spends nine years in the cellar before it is released.

The result is a golden champagne with a fine mousse. The nose opens with vanilla pastry and wood, followed by lemon, mandarin, blossom and white fruit. On the palate come hazelnut, honeysuckle and citrus zest, and the finish is very long. Serve it at 10 to 12 degrees in a large white wine glass, with lobster, scallops or poultry in a cream sauce, for example.