Remy Leroy

AUBE, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE

Rémi Leroy grew up in Meurville, a small town in the Côte des Bar. He trained as a oenologist and agricultural engineer in Bordeaux before taking over his 9ha family estate. In the past the family sold all their grapes to large houses, but Remi now vinifies around a third of the crop under his own label.

The Aube area marks the southern extreme of the Champagne region, geographically and geologically it's closer to neighbour Chablis, and also sits on the Kimmeridgian (limestone) chain. 70% of his vines are Pinot Noir, the rest of their vineyards split about 20% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Meunier, although he is increasing plantings of Chardonnay.

Rémi has moved towards lower intervention winemaking as his experience grows. Grapes are pressed and left to settle naturally before fermentation with natural yeasts. This gentle handling reduces oxidation and allows him to use very low SO2 additions. He picks grapes when they're fully ripe which allows him to use very low dosages across his Champagnes. Remi is meticulous in the vineyards and the cellar and is making beautifully balanced wines with the structure to age gracefully.