CHAMPAGNE LEJEUNE-DIRVANG

Anecdotes from the Estate: On June 15, 2017, Philippe Jamesse, Head Sommelier of Domaine des Crayères in Reims, presided over the jury for the 6th edition of the Young Talents of Champagne competition, sponsored by Cyril Rouquet (LCI). Following the blind tastings, I was selected as one of the three finalists in the "Blending" category for the Les Seilles d'Or Premier Cru cuvée. The audition on October 27, 2017, before the full jury confirmed this warm welcome, and I am proud to be part of the Young Talents of Champagne family! A Little History of the Estate: My name is Guillaume Lejeune, a former Burgundian winemaker. I took over the family Champagne estate, and since then, it has been centered around its climats, in the Burgundian sense of the term. Our cuvées, whether blended or not, are an expression of the vineyard, its individual plots, and its grape varieties. Whether you prefer fruity, mineral, or complex Champagne, whether you enjoy it as an aperitif, with a meal, or with dessert, you will always find the perfect cuvée among our selection. Our primary goal is to create a truly great wine that could, in theory, be enjoyed as a still wine if we weren't in Champagne. To achieve this, we cultivate our vines to produce only what they can give us, no more, no less. We let nature take its course as much as possible: - This is how we work the soil to eliminate the need for chemical weed control; - This is why we have banned insecticides so that vine pests are regulated by their natural predators; We only intervene when strictly necessary. We only vinify what we call "the cuvée," meaning the first pressings, where we find the wine's best balance. We thus voluntarily deprive ourselves of about 20% of the harvest to discard what we call "the cuts," meaning the lower-quality juice. Our wines are then aged in oak barrels for as long as possible to reveal the perfect balance between freshness, power, and the lusciousness of great table Champagnes. The pride of the estate: Located on the southern slopes of the Montagne de Reims, I cultivate Pinot Noir and a little Chardonnay in the villages of Tauxières-Mutry (Premier Cru), Louvois, and Bouzy (Grand Cru). On this family land, I produce a terroir-driven Champagne, full of power and minerality.