Unearth the hidden gem of Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne’. Discover why it is a forgotten treasure in the world of fine wines. [ read the full champagne story ]
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Prestige Champagnes from lesser-known houses are among the most exciting wines I know to explore. Cristal, Dom Pérignon and Belle Epoque certainly deserve their fame, but when it comes to true value for money, there is an abundance of fascinating prestige cuvées from talented yet less celebrated producers waiting to be discovered. Billecart-Salmon Cuvée N.F., Ayala Perle, Alfred Gratien Cuvée Paradis, Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires, Cuvée William Deutz, Saint Gall Orpale, Gosset Célébris, Henriot Les Enchanteleurs, Lanson Noble, Grand Siècle and, not least, Duval-Leroy Femme de Champagne are all brilliant examples of such extraordinary — yet slightly underrated — Champagnes.
Every year I travel to my favourite producers in Champagne together with a small group from Champagne Club. We visit both the grand maisons and the hidden gems, and on every trip I try to arrange an almost complete vertical tasting of some rare wine. This year, fortune brought us to Duval-Leroy at the southern tip of the Côte des Blancs in Vertus — a village the house more or less dominates in harmonious coexistence with growers such as Larmandier-Bernier and Veuve Fourny & Fils.
Duval-Leroy – the champagne house
The highly respected house dates back to 1859, when the Duval and Leroy families joined forces, but the true success story only began when Carol Duval-Leroy took sole control in 1991. More or less single-handedly, she transformed the house into the leading producer it is today. In recent years, the company has become a quartet, as she successfully brought all three of her sons — Charles, Louis and Julien — into the family business. It is Charles who greets us on this occasion, while Carol, as so often, is in Paris meeting her star-chef clients, where Duval-Leroy frequently serves as the house Champagne.
I have visited the estate on four occasions and have always been struck by the family’s generosity and warmth. On previous visits, I also had the privilege of tasting an abundance of vinothèque wines together with winemaker Sandrine Logette-Jardin. My memories were so positive that I was eager to see how the famous vintages of Femme had evolved since our last meeting. I cautiously asked whether it might be possible to arrange a truly unique tasting.
The tasting
What I did not expect was that Sandrine and Charles had decided — for the first time ever — to open the complete series of Femme vintages they had produced, as well as almost every vintage of its predecessor, Cuvée des Roys. All of them in magnum format. Even seasoned Champagne enthusiasts like myself get butterflies in the stomach and goosebumps at the mere sight of such a magnificent line-up.
The estate has long been organic, and the house style is often described as polished, elegant and feminine. No wine in the portfolio embodies that description better than the magnificent prestige Champagne Femme. It is a kind of essence of finesse and elegance, despite not being a Blanc de Blancs. Between 5–20% Grand Cru Pinot Noir is included primarily to provide depth and structure to the dancing, ethereal Chardonnay aromas from the finest Grand Cru villages.
At times, Les Chétillons from Le Mesnil dominates with its signature mandarin-like note. At other moments, the cuvée becomes creamier and more influenced by Cramant and Chouilly. In magnum, the wine gains an additional roasted, gunflint-like charm that recalls Les Enchanteleurs or perhaps a lighter cousin of Dom Pérignon. The purity is always uncompromising, and here my thoughts drift toward mature magnums of Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle.
Historically speaking, Cuvée des Roys was slightly more powerful and somewhat more rustic in style, even though the proportion of oak barrels in Femme increased over the years, peaking around the turn of the millennium. Today, Sandrine has once again reduced the influence of oak, allowing elegance to take centre stage.
If you ever have the opportunity to taste any of the outstanding 15,000 bottles — or, even better, the 1,000 magnums — that leave the house almost every year, never hesitate. Enjoying a glass of Champagne Duval-Leroy Femme de Champagne in a lush early-summer park or on an Alpine hillside is a heavenly experience you will not soon forget.
Below follow my personal impressions of these magnificent wines;
2008 Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne’
93(90)p
24pn 76ch
TASTING NOTE From the company’s finest locations in Avize (Chapelle d’Avize, La Côte, Petit et Grande Roses), Chouilly (Montaigu) and Le Mesnil (Volibarts, Les Carelles) chardonnay is harvested and also a quarter of Pinot Noir is Grand Cru in the form of majestic Ambonnay partly vinified in oak barrels and aged on the yeast for an impressive 14 years. The wine is certainly quite young and has many journeys ahead of it. Nevertheless, it is breathtakingly beautiful immediately with a radiant elegant finesse where notes of acacia, linden blossom and early summer joy are mixed with brioche, vanilla, mandarin and lemon pastries. Long and fresh with a buttery string that caresses the wine all the way into the finish.
2007 Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne’
92 (maj-26) 92
24pn 76ch
TASTING NOTE On the label no vintage, but in this edition a pure 2007. From the company’s finest locations in Avize, Chouilly and Le Mesnil, chardonnay is harvested and also a quarter of Pinot Noir is Grand Cru in the form of majestic Ambonnay partly vinified in oak barrels and aged on the yeast for 14 years. Finally a dosage of 5 grams. A super light and buoyant polished and sophisticated prestige wine that does not let itself be subdued by the relative impersonality of the vintage. There is a silky buttery base note here both in the aroma and in the taste multi-headed citrus, freshly baked bread, yellow flowers, yellow fruits, honeysuckle, honey, peach and hazelnut are aromas that come together beautifully.
2004 Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne Vinothèque’
95(94)p
20pn 80ch
TASTING NOTE Presented as a vinothèque with 5 gram dosage on magnums at the house with 15 percent oak. A very beautiful coffee roasted and sublime style that personifies what Femme is all about. This time the mandarin notes from Chétillions in Le Mesnil are particularly noticeable. There is also a sublime acacia note and creaminess with a sensual soft texture with a tickling fresh feeling. The seamlessness and also the increasingly coffee-scented bouquet in the glass are very reminiscent of Dom Pérignon. Still youthful but in an ethereal appealing phase.
2002 Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne Vinothèque’
95(95)(p
20pn 80ch
TASTING NOTE A wonderfully late disgorged magnum opened at Sthlm Food & Wine Convention 2023. Of course there is a slightly reductively roasted magnum note, but most impressive is the roundness, the creaminess and the hugely silky fruit that ranges between citrus, peaches all the way to Smultron. Smooth, tight and sensually crowd-pleasing.
2002 Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne’
90(85)(p
20pn 80ch
TASTING NOTE A late release of this wine impresses a little less than expected as the champagne has not really integrated yet. The color is beautiful, the aroma unfortunately a bit oxidative and the taste young and brilliantly acidic and long. Store for a year and it has found its home.
2000 Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne Vinothèque’
94(94)p
5pn 95ch
TASTING NOTE Femme Vinothèque disgorged in 2023 with 6 grams dosage on magnum at the house with 20 percent oak. A very beautiful coffee roasted and sublime style that personifies what Femme is all about. This time I mainly feel a green kiwi, eucalyptus tone with peach peel. Soft charming, refreshing with caramel and honeydew melon. Many’s favorite in its pleasantly light drunk style.
1996 Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne Vinothèque’
97(97)p
24pn 76ch
TASTING NOTE It’s almost impossible to say which is best when I have the freshly gorged magnum bottles of 96′ and 95′. The 96′ is of course a little tighter, sourer and slightly deeper, but the 95′ is completely irresistible in its chocolate-scented and slightly floral style. This 96 is more roasted and lightly grilled. They should simply be enjoyed side by side.
1996 Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne’
95(95)p
21pn 79ch
TASTING NOTE Probably just as potent as the 95′, but not as beautiful today. A more grilled, smoky and acid flavour profile. A blend of white flowers and grilled angler fish. Does that sound daft as a description of the flavour of an awesome champagne?
1995 Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne Vinothèque’
96(96)p
24pn 76ch
TASTING NOTE It’s almost impossible to say which is best when I have the recently disgorged magnum bottles of 96′ and 95′. The 96′ is of course a little tighter, sourer and slightly deeper, but the 95′ is completely irresistible in its chocolate-scented and slightly floral style. They should definitely be drunk together side by side.
1995 Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne’
94(94)p
24pn 76ch
TASTING NOTE The same unobtrusive style that is characteristic of all the wines from this company, with however a decent concentration of luxuriant fruitiness that will probably give off delightfully toasted aromas when the wine is fifteen years old or so. A truly elegant, luxurious champagne that tempts one to drink it when it is far too young. Reminiscent of the lovely structure of Enchanteleur. Beautiful tones of white fruits and white blooms despite the fact that 5% oak barrels have been used for Chardonnay from Avize, Oger, Chouilly and Cramant.
1990 Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne Non Dosé’
94(94)p
11pn 89ch
TASTING NOTE An absolutely wonderful late disgorged creation with mineral water purity and at the same time extremely intense aroma profile and rocky touch. Clear roasted feminine notes, lovely fresh acidity and long-sounding slightly nutty finale.
1990 Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne Vinothèque’
93(93)p
11pn 89ch
TASTING NOTE This much-talked-about firm finally hit the bull’s-eye! A sterling Champagne, reminiscent of Taittinger’s sweet nut-toffee-influenced style. Truly impressive, grandiose bouquet, and an incredibly delicious taste with big, inviting depth.
1990 Duval-Leroy ‘Cuvée des Roys Vinothèque Brut Zero’
93(91)p
5pn 95ch
TASTING NOTE A magnum disgorged a la volée with enormous richness, but tightly restrained power. Like so many freshly disgorged wines, they get a Chinese base note of shitake mushrooms, chicken soup and umami in abundance. Dry and a little empty of fruit and berries. Aging for a few years and a light dosage would have been recommended.
1986 Duval-Leroy ‘Cuvée des Roys Vinothèque’
93(93)p
5pn 95ch
TASTING NOTE Tasted 10 years after disgorging in a magnum with a 2 gram dosage, this is a lovely and deep licorice-scented champagne. Sweeter impression than the dosage suggests and with fine layers of chocolate, chicken broth, and rich, homogeneous crunch in its caramelized maturity.
1990 Duval-Leroy ‘Cuvée des Roys Vinothèque Brut Zero’
93(91)p
5pn 95ch
TASTING NOTE A magnum disgorged a la volée with enormous richness, but tightly restrained power. Like so many freshly disgorged wines, they get a Chinese base note of shitake mushrooms, chicken soup and umami in abundance. Dry and a little empty of fruit and berries. Aging for a few years and a light dosage would have been recommended.
Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne’ MV
92(92)p
13pn 87ch
TASTING NOTE A multivintage. My first encounter with this new fine wine was something of a disappointment with oxidative overtones. Will be back soon with more notes. Next time lovely! Great maturity in magnum from Aÿ, Avize, Mesnil and Chouilly.
Duval-Leroy ‘Femme de Champagne Rosé de Saigné’ MV
79(76)p
100pn
TASTING NOTE No sorry to say but I’m not at all impressed with this Grand Cru. Unfortunately, the feeling of finesse in this dark red wine has been completely lost. A little messy with a lot of strawberry notes. Simple and miles away from the elegance of the white one.
