Guide VERON des Champagnes 2020
(around 50
euros per bottle)
Sober and luxurious presentation for this cuvée homage to Hortense, great-grandmother of Vincent Leboeuf.
Aspect:
White
gold, brilliant.
Fine
bubbles.
Fine
bead of foam.
Nose:
Sensual
generosity.
Warm
aromas of honey and toast, signatures of the maturity of the champagne obtained
by 4 years of ageing on laths of the bottles, with slow autolysis of the prise de mousse yeasts.
Later,
the aromas of red and black fruits punctuated by soft spices take us,
expressions of the Pinot Noir, exclusive varietal, harvested by hand, at
perfect ripeness thanks to the warmth of the chalk walls of the Clos Hortense
replanted in 1974.
Palate:
Delicate
balance between voluptuous roundness and lively freshness, result of an œnology
respectful of the grape and base wine refined by clarification with fish glue,
without filtration nor cooling.
Remarkable
presence, highlighted by the mineral tension of the Grand Cru of Aÿ, definitely
reinforced by the selection of the first juices (cuvée) during the pressing of the grapes.
Ample
and caressing finish thanks to 8 g/L of sugar added during the dosage.
Endless
length on the palate.
With this Clos d’Hortense 2013, last creation of the Champagne house
Pierre Leboeuf, Hélène Leboeuf and her father Vincent gently shake up the champenois traditions of blending, to
join the very small circle of the Champagne Clos.
To taste from aperitif to meal, with Ardennes thrushes, for example.
Driven by the real desire to reduce the environmental footprint, Hélène
Leboeuf cultivates with care her 4.70 hectares vineyard spread over the
Grand Cru of Aÿ and Premiers Crus of Avenay-Val-d’Or and Mutigny. Combining
with passion the conviviality in the half-timbered house built in the XVIth
century for the king Henri IV in Aÿ, the tradition handed down through
5 generations of wine growers and the creativity, she tries her hardest to
compose each year, with her father Vincent, around 25,000 bottles of a range
inspired by touching champagnes.
Champagne Pierre Leboeuf
11 rue Saint Vincent
51 160 Aÿ
Tel.: +33 (0)3 26 55 03 87
