Champagne

Biodynamic

Champagne Papillon

Champagne Ruppert-Leroy

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Ruppert Leroy - Papillon

Type

Sparkling Wine

Appellation

Champagne

Variety

100% Pinot Noir

Papillon is a sélection massale planting of Pinot Noir that is an extension of the Fosse-Grely vineyard. Papillon means butterfly, and this Pinot Noir is the richest and most powerful wine from the range. 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

Papillon - located in the village of Essoyes

Soil type

Clay-Limestone with a majority of red clay

Vine ageEarly 1980s

Vineyard size0.80 hectares

ExpositionSouth / Southwest

Vinification

Vinification with natural yeast from their own grapes, without any fining or filtering. The cold settling occurs naturally with the winter frosts. Alcoholic fermentation and levage on fine lees in 225L barrels and 500L demi-muids for 9 months. Natural malolactic fermentation, Aged on the lees in bottle for 18-20 months. Disgorged à la volée, and bottled without any liqueur de tirage (Brut Nature) or added SO2.

Harvest typeHand Harvested

Fining/FilteringUnfined / Unfiltered

More about
the producer

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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...