Description & elaboration
The Blanc de Noirs 2020 cuvée from Rémi Leroy is a vintage champagne crafted from Pinot Noir on the hillsides of the Côte des Bar. It is a champagne with notes of dried apricot, yellow peach and toasted almond — a rare aromatic profile. On the palate, the texture is fleshy and vibrant, underpinned by a chalky minerality that draws out the finish. Rémi Leroy, an agronomist-turned-winemaker, produces this champagne in confidential quantities.
The Terroir
The Pinot Noir grapes come from the village of Meurville, in the Aube. The historic plots Les Merrettes and La Fosse thrive on this exceptional terroir. The Kimmeridgian soil, composed of marl and oyster fossils, lends the wine a mineral tension. The roots draw water deep from these limestone strata.
Across this nine-hectare estate, natural cover crops between the rows and mechanical soil work entirely replace chemical herbicides. The south-east exposure of the Aube hillsides encourages optimal ripeness in the grapes.
The winemaking
Rémi Leroy vinifies naturally, with a gentle pressing of the grapes. Alcoholic fermentation starts spontaneously thanks to indigenous yeasts (yeasts naturally present on the grape skins). Malolactic fermentation then softens the acidic structure of the base wines. The wine undergoes no filtration before bottling.
Sixty percent of the musts ferment in 228-litre oak barrels for several months — a method that brings roundness and aromatic complexity to the wine. The remainder ages in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. After blending, the wine matures for thirty months on lees. The extra-brut dosage is two grams per litre.
The 2020 vintage
The 2020 harvest closes a decade marked by intense heat. An exceptionally rainy winter saturated the Kimmeridgian subsoils with water. In Meurville, early budburst accelerated the spring vegetative cycle, before the vines faced strong summer heatwaves.
Harvest began as early as the end of August. This sun-drenched year follows the 2018 and 2019 harvests: it produces a structured, finely chiselled wine built for ageing, where the clay-limestone terroir tempered the impact of the summer climate.
Tasting notes
Appearance
The luminous robe displays a golden colour with copper highlights, reminiscent of a partridge-eye hue. The effervescence traces a persistent, regular bead in the glass.
Nose
Aeration reveals a frank, fruity expression. The profile revolves around dried apricot and yellow peach. Indulgent notes of toasted almond and brioche complete this bouquet.
Palate
The attack is fleshy and intensely vibrant. The chalky minerality precisely underlines the long finish. The silky texture coats the palate with a delightful richness.
Food pairing suggestions
- Smoked salmon toasts
- Cheese gougères
- Aged Iberian ham
- Roast poultry with thyme
- Pork tenderloin
- Mushroom risotto
- Comté aged 18 months
- Farmhouse Chaource
- Thin apricot tart
The Plus de Bulles expert's opinion
Why I love it
This sun-drenched vintage moved me with its controlled power and its Pinot Noir flesh, laced with accents of apricot and orange zest. Its wine-like texture stretches across a saline finish of remarkable finesse, bearing the hallmark of an exceptional terroir.
My recommendation
Serve at 10–12 °C in a wine glass. Its structure pairs beautifully with roast poultry with morel mushrooms or veal sweetbreads.
Advice
How to store this champagne?
Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75 cl) in reinforced packaging specifically designed for champagne. After delivery, we recommend storing it on its side, away from light — ideally in a wine cellar, or failing that, in a cool, not too dry place at a stable temperature.
Ageing potential
The Blanc de Noirs 2020 from Rémi Leroy will evolve gracefully in the cellar. It has an ageing potential of around fifteen years.
- Until 2030: the cuvée retains its youthful aromas. Stone fruits — apricot, yellow peach — dominate the aromatic profile.
- From 2031: the wine develops appealing tertiary flavours. Toasted almond and brioche become lasting presences on the palate.
- Around 2035: the bottle reaches its peak maturity. Notes of gentle spice and honey complete the expression.
Serving suggestions
This cuvée is best served at 10–12 °C. A tulip glass concentrates the aromatic spectrum. A brief decanting relaxes the wine's structure and unlocks its aromas.
A note about this cuvée
Rémi Leroy took over the family estate in Meurville in 2006. This agronomist is the first in his line to vinify his own grapes: his parents formerly sold the entire harvest to the large négociant houses. This choice of independence now showcases the specific terroirs of the Aube.
This is an ideal gift to delight a discerning enthusiast and introduce them to a rare and exacting craft. To explore the estate further, Rémi Leroy's signature Pinot Noir reflects this same philosophy.
Lovers of this style will also enjoy a Pinot Noir-dominant Grand Cru champagne, which shares this low-dosage approach to winemaking.
