Léclapart family has been cultivating the vine for three generations in the small village of Trépail, north of Ambonnay, in the heart of the territory of Reims, the legendary Champagne Montagne. The winery is currently run by David who, before continuing the work of his parents, was trained at the agrobiological school in Beaujeu and spent 2 years of training at Leclerc-Briant. In 1997, just beginning to work the family land, 2 hectares and 85 ares divided into 22 parcels, David converted them to biodynamic agriculture.
His analysis of the terroir on which his vineyards lie, exposed to the south-east and all classified at Premier Cru, led him to see how the richness of flint, and the freezing temperatures, were potentially ideal factors to produce wines of excellent acidity and great aging potential. From these considerations arises the choice not to use wines of different vintages for their Champagne, but to produce exclusively wines from single vintage, and not to resort to chaptalisation (the addition of sugar to the must before fermentation in order to increase the alcoholic content of the wine). The aim of these choices is to deliver to the passionate drinker a product capable of photographing in a faithful and pure way the characteristics of each vintage produced.
Among the most famous wines of this tiny producer is undoubtedly Apôtre, a 100% Chardonnay made from the grapes of the tiny La Pierre St-Martin vineyard of Trépail, with vines planted by Davíd’s grandfather in 1946. Once arrived in the cellar and gently pressed, the grapes ferment spontaneously thanks to indigenous yeasts, while the base wine obtained ages for about a year in barrique, where it also carries out malolactic fermentation. For the fermentation and the aging on the lees, the wines are bottled without sulfur dioxide, without filtration or cold stabilization, and once disgorged, they are filled without dosage.
The 2013 vintage, disgorged in July 2018 (as the back label states), is characterized by a beautiful golden color and a very delicate foam, with an olfactory range that opens on notes of yellow peach and apricot overripe, hay and yeast, followed by croissants, custard, fermenting grass and toasted hazelnut, with final echoes of Sherry Fino and combusted shell. The palate is crossed by a sensation of glyceric softness that alternates with the acidic and slightly oxidized one, while the delicate perlage, almost velvety, also brings with it the savory/ mineral component; all while the overripe yellow fruit and the Sherry Fino return and accompany the sip until a juicy closure.
Rating: 93/100
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