Champagne Driant-Valentin

At A Glance

Field: Detail
Region: Champagne
Village: Grauves
Appellation: Champagne
Vineyard area: 7.5 hectares
Main grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier
Producer type: Vigneron Indépendant

The Producer

Chardonnay makes up 50 percent of the plantings, Pinot Noir 40 percent and Pinot Meunier 10 percent. David Driant and Jacques Driant manage the estate today as a Vigneron Indépendant. Émile Driant founded it in 1920.

The modern facilities include vats and a pneumatic press. The house's dosage philosophy reaches back to the great-grandfather's cuvées, which were dosed lightly despite the practice of his contemporaries.

Place

Grauves places the house in the Côte des Blancs, within the Champagne appellation. Champagne is a sparkling wine appellation made by a second fermentation in bottle, which creates the fine bubbles in the finished wine.

Wines

Blanc de Blancs is the pure Chardonnay cuvée, a white Champagne described as fresh, delicate and mineral. Extra Brut is presented as a Champagne with character and delicacy. Dosage Zéro contains no added dosage. Dosage is the final sugar addition after disgorgement, so zero dosage leaves the wine without that addition.

Millésime Brut is the vintage expression. The range includes Millésime Brut 1998, 2002 and 2007. Millésime Brut has complex aromas, honeyed notes and great maturity. The 2002 vintage shows citrus, bread crust, butter and orange aromas, with high acidity, a lighter body, fine carbonation and pleasant length. The reserve expression and the 1998 vintage both use 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir.

Final Word

Cuvée l'Harmonie received a Silver Medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in 2024.

At A Glance

The Producer

Place

Wines

Final Word

Sources

Where to go next