Type

Sparkling Wine

Appellation

Champagne

Variety

100% Pinot Noir

Planted 100% to Pinot Noir, Les Cognaux is located at the top of the hill with south/southeastern exposure. The word Cognaux is an old local word that means 'little corner,' as in a nice little corner of the world to grow grapes. In addition to their vineyards, Ruppert-Leroy operates a biodynamically-certified farm where they grow their own vegetables, raise animals, produce their own composts / biodynamic preparations, and host conferences on biodynamics.

Viticulture

Vineyard name

Les Cognaux, located in the town of Essoyes

Soil type

Clay-Limestone with a majority of gray clay

Vines planted inEarly 1980s

Vineyard size0.70 hectares

PruningGuyot

ExpositionSouth / Southwest

Vinification

All cuvées are made using the same process: vinification with natural yeasts without any fining or filtering. Cold settling occurs naturally with the winter frosts. Alcoholic fermentation, natural malolactic fermentation, and 9 months of élevage on fine lees take place in 225L barrels and 500L demi-muids.

Elevage18-20 months sur-lie in bottle, disgorged à la volée, and bottled without any liqueur de tirage (Brut Nature) or added SO2.

Harvest typeHand Harvested

Fining/FilteringUnfined / Unfiltered

Additional info

Total production average5,500 bottles

UPC Code Bottle450

Downloads

Packshot Label Tech-sheet

More about
the producer

Champagne Ruppert-Leroy

Founded in 1980s

4 hectares

Bénédicte Leroy’s parents moved to Essoyes in 1975 and started a small farm on a clearing, located just above the town where they previously raised sheep. In the 1980s, it was no longer economically viable, and they learned that they could plant grapes on the land that they'd been renting for the sheep to graze on. Little by little, they planted four hectares in Essoyes and Noé-les-Mallets, not including the garden and small pasture they kept for their own animals. All of the grapes were sold to the local cooperative.

In 2009, when her father was about to retire, Bénédicte took over the domaine along with her husband Manu Leroy, under the condition that they could farm organically and make their own wines. Using his background in ecological construction, Manu built a straw...