Champagne estate in Damery with 45 vineyard plots, Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and cuvées separated by composition and cellar ageing.
The producer
Caillez-Lemaire is a Champagne estate in Damery, led by Virginie and Laurent Vanpoperinghe. Its 45 vineyard plots total 6.3 hectares. Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are planted across the holdings. The named cuvées differ in composition and ageing. Jadis is composed of 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 10% Meunier and ages on lees for around ten years. Reflets is Meunier forward, fruity and fresh. Éclats ages for approximately 80 months in the cellar and shows rich notes of white fruits, citrus, flowers, almond and toasted bread.
Known for
Champagne cuvées with long lees ageing
Notable facts
The estate operates 45 vineyard plots totaling 6.3 hectares.
Virginie and Laurent Vanpoperinghe lead operations.
Jadis is composed of 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 10% Meunier.
Reflets is aged for 24 to 36 months on slats.
The story
Jadis and the Cellar Decision
Jadis follows a cellar decision. Caillez-Lemaire ferments the cuvée in oak barrels, then keeps it on lees for around ten years before release. Its composition is 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 10% Meunier. Lees are the yeast sediment left after fermentation, and extended contact can add bread, nut and creamy notes to sparkling wine. Jadis joins oak fermentation to a long period of lees ageing, while the other named cuvées use different compositions or ageing periods.
From the atlas
Caillez-Lemaire
Caillez-Lemaire is a Champagne estate in Damery. Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are planted in its vineyards, and its cuvées are separated by composition and cellar ageing.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Region
Champagne
Village
Damery
Main grapes
Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Estate
45 vineyard plots totaling 6.3 hectares
Current proprietors
Virginie and Laurent Vanpoperinghe
Cuvée
Jadis
The Producer
Virginie and Laurent Vanpoperinghe lead Caillez-Lemaire. Their families have worked in wine growing since the eighteenth century. The estate's wines use Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The named cuvées differ in grape composition and ageing period. Jadis, Reflets and Éclats differ in those respects. Lees are the yeast sediment left after fermentation. Contact with lees can add bread, nut and creamy notes to sparkling wine.
Place
Damery is the estate's home village in Champagne. Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are planted in its vineyards. These varieties bring different balances of fruit, acidity and body to a sparkling wine. Base wine precedes lees ageing, so grape balance and cellar period remain separate choices in the named cuvées.
Wines
The named range includes Jadis, Reflets and Éclats. Jadis is composed of 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 10% Meunier. It undergoes very long ageing on lees for around ten years. Reflets is Meunier forward, fruity and fresh. It is aged for 24 to 36 months on slats, the supports used to rest bottles in the cellar. Éclats is aged for approximately 80 months on lees in the cellar. It shows rich notes of white fruits, citrus, flowers, almond and toasted bread.
Lees are the yeast sediment left after fermentation. Contact with lees can add bread and nut flavours, while grape composition sets the wine's initial fruit and body. The range is organized by grape composition and cellar time.