David Léclapart Champagne l'Aphrodisiaque V16

In the small village of Trépail, nestled in the hills of the Montagne de Reims, David Léclapart works with an almost mystical devotion to his vineyards. His estate is small, just three hectares, but every inch of it is imbued with life and care. When he took over the family business in 1996, he decided to take a radically different course. He didn’t just want to make wine; he wanted to capture the essence of nature in a bottle. David opted for biodynamic viticulture, a practice that is less about technique and more about understanding the cycles of nature. He worked with the lunar calendar, used natural preparations and avoided any form of chemical intervention. Instead of forcing the land, he nourished it, and the vineyards flourished. Chardonnay, the grape of his region, became the canvas for his artistic experiments.

Each cuvée David creates tells its own story. L’Amateur, for example, is a Blanc de Blancs made from young vines and intended as an introduction to his work. L’Artiste, with its complexity and layers, shows how craftsmanship and time merge. Then there’s L’Apôtre, the holy grail of his estate, sourced from a single vineyard where the old vines have taken deep roots in the chalky soil. And for those looking for something a little more daring, there’s L’Alchimiste, a rosé Champagne that defies the boundaries of tradition.

The V16 l'Aphrodisiaque (naturally from the year 2016) is made up of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. These grapes come 100% from Premier Cru vineyards in Trépail. In the cellar, Léclapart allows his wines to partially ferment and mature spontaneously in used barrels, malolactic fermentation is permitted and the dosage is always low. He adds sulphites in very small quantities. Taking advantage of the chalky soil around Trépail, Léclapart produces elegant, dry and expressive champagnes with a particular acidity in small quantities.