Family Champagne house in Cramant and Cuis, with parcel separated vinification, low dosage, and Fleur de Passion from old Cramant vines.
The producer
Champagne Diebolt-Vallois joins the Diebolt vineyards of Cramant with the Vallois holdings of Cuis. Siblings Isabelle and Arnaud Diebolt manage the third generation. The cellar keeps each vineyard parcel separate in small tanks, Burgundy barrels, and large oak vats, while the house uses low dosage. Fleur de Passion is the prestige cuvée, made from Chardonnay on low-yield hillside plots in Cramant, a village classified 100% Grand Cru, and released only in the best years.
Known for
Old vine Cramant Chardonnay
Notable facts
The house operates 11 hectares in Cramant and Cuis.
Annual production is approximately 150,000 bottles.
House dosage is 6 to 8 grams per litre.
Fleur de Passion uses Chardonnay from 7 or 8 hillside plots in Cramant.
The story
From Supply to Own Cuvées
In previous years, Diebolt-Vallois supplied Champagne Pol Roger. Laurent d'Harcourt, Pol Roger's managing director, referred to Jacques Diebolt as the king of ageing blanc de blancs. Diebolt-Vallois later stopped supplying Pol Roger, and all of its supply went into its own cuvées. Blanc de blancs means Champagne made from white grapes, while ageing on lees gives the wine time to gain texture before disgorgement. The change left the house's production inside the Diebolt-Vallois range.
From the atlas
Champagne Diebolt-Vallois
A family Champagne house joining vineyards in Cramant and Cuis with parcel-separated cellar work and Fleur de Passion from old-vine Cramant Chardonnay.
At A Glance
Fact
Detail
Region
Champagne
Vineyard villages
Cramant and Cuis
Signature cuvée
Fleur de Passion
Signature grape
Chardonnay in Fleur de Passion
Defining feature
Separate parcel vinification and low dosage
The Producer
Jacques Diebolt married Nadia Vallois in 1960, bringing together the Diebolt family vineyards in Cramant and the Vallois family holdings in Cuis. The Diebolt family had lived in Cramant since the 19th century, while the Vallois holdings in Cuis had been cultivated since the 15th century. Siblings Isabelle and Arnaud Diebolt now manage the third generation of the house.
The cellar keeps each vineyard parcel separate in small tanks, barrels purchased from Burgundy, and large oak vats. Separate vinification lets each parcel remain distinct before the wines are used in the house cuvées. Dosage is 6 to 8 grams per litre. Dosage is the small addition of sugar made after disgorgement, and a low level keeps the Champagne dry while softening acidity and rounding texture.
Place
Cramant and Cuis are the two villages at the centre of the family's vineyard holdings. Cramant is associated with the Diebolt vineyards, while Cuis is the source of the Vallois family holdings.
The Cramant vineyards include hillside plots in a village classified 100% Grand Cru. Grand Cru is Champagne's highest village classification, so the designation places Cramant at the top level of the appellation hierarchy. The hillside plots add a narrower origin within that village classification.
Wines
Fleur de Passion is the house's prestige cuvée. It is made from Chardonnay grown in 7 or 8 hillside plots in Cramant, a village classified 100% Grand Cru. The vines are all over 40 years old, many 60 years old or more, and yields are low.
Fleur de Passion is matured in oak barrels in the traditional way and produced only in the very best years. Barrel ageing gives the wine gradual contact with oxygen and can add texture to Chardonnay while the low yields produce a more concentrated base wine.
Final Word
Diebolt-Vallois joins Cramant and Cuis through family vineyards and keeps each parcel separate in the cellar. Fleur de Passion narrows that work to old vine Chardonnay from hillside plots in Grand Cru Cramant, released only in the best years.