Our Terroir
At Seb Valoir, we are committed to sourcing the finest terroirs for our champagnes. Our relentless pursuit of excellence drives us to seek out and cultivate grapes from the most prestigious and unique vineyards in the Champagne region.
Live Free Brut Champagne
Meunier - From the Vallée de la Marne - 30%
The Vallée de la Marne is a distinguished sub-region within the Champagne appellation, particularly known for producing exceptional Meunier grapes. The unique terroir of this area, characterized by its chalky and clay-rich soils, provides an ideal environment for Meunier to thrive. These soils retain moisture well, ensuring that the vines remain nourished even during drier periods, which is crucial for consistent grape quality. Meunier from the Vallée de la Marne is highly valued for its distinctively fruity and aromatic profile. The grapes from this region impart vibrant flavors of apple, pear, and stone fruits, along with subtle floral and herbal notes. These characteristics contribute to a rounder, more approachable champagne with a lively freshness that complements the structure and depth provided by other grape varieties in the blend. Moreover, Meunier is known for its versatility and resilience, particularly in the cooler climate of the Vallée de la Marne. This grape variety ripens earlier than others, ensuring a reliable harvest even in less predictable growing seasons. The addition of Meunier from this region to our blend enhances the overall balance, adding a layer of complexity and a rich, creamy mouthfeel to our champagne.
Pinot Noir - From the Côte de Bars - 30%
The Côte de Bars, located in the southernmost part of the Champagne region, is renowned for its unique terroir that imparts distinctive characteristics to the Pinot Noir grapes. This area features Kimmeridgian limestone soils, which are rich in marine fossils and minerals, contributing to the exceptional minerality and complexity of the grapes grown here. The rolling hills and diverse microclimates of the Côte de Bars further enhance the ripening process, allowing the grapes to develop intense flavors and aromas. Pinot Noir from this region is celebrated for its vibrant fruit profile, with notes of red berries and cherries, as well as its excellent structure and depth. These qualities are essential for crafting a balanced and elegant champagne. By incorporating Pinot Noir from the Côte de Bars, we ensure that our champagne exhibits a harmonious blend of richness, complexity, and finesse.
Chardonnay - From the Côte des Blancs -40%
The Côte des Blancs is internationally acclaimed for its exceptional Chardonnay, which is renowned for producing some of the finest Chardonnay based champagnes. The region's chalky soils, rich in limestone, provide an excellent drainage system and reflect sunlight onto the vines, creating an optimal growing environment. This unique terroir imparts a distinctive minerality and freshness to the Chardonnay grapes, which are essential qualities for creating a refined and elegant champagne.
Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs is celebrated for its purity, finesse, and delicate aromas. The grapes typically exhibit vibrant notes of citrus, white flowers, and green apple, accompanied by a refreshing acidity and a hint of chalkiness. These characteristics are crucial for achieving a balanced champagne with a crisp and lively profile.
The cooler climate of the Côte des Blancs further contributes to the slow and steady ripening of the grapes, allowing them to develop complex flavors while maintaining their natural acidity. This slow maturation process is vital for producing a champagne with both depth and longevity, ensuring that the wine ages gracefully and evolves beautifully over time.
By incorporating Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs into our blend, we enhance the overall elegance and structure of our champagne. The result is a sophisticated and harmonious wine that truly captures the essence of this prestigious region.
Coteaux Champenois Rouge Nr. 1 Limited Edition Red Wine
Pinot Noir - From Ambonnay Grand Cru
This wine is a mono-cru, meaning it's grapes originate from one specific village in Champagne only. Ambonnay, located in the Montagne de Reims sub-region, is one of the most prestigious Grand Cru villages in Champagne.
The vineyards here are renowned for producing some of the finest Pinot Noir grapes, thanks to the unique terroir and the exceptional growing conditions. The region’s chalky soils, combined with a favorable microclimate, provide an ideal environment for Pinot Noir, allowing the grapes to develop intense flavors and complexity.
Pinot Noir from Ambonnay is celebrated for its rich, full-bodied character and remarkable depth. The grapes typically exhibit a complex array of flavors, including red and black berries, cherries, and subtle earthy notes. This depth of flavor is essential for crafting a Coteaux Champenois Rouge with both structure and elegance.
Our Coteaux Champenois Rouge boasts a beautiful garnet color. On the nose, it develops delightful aromas of red berries and blackcurrant. The palate is round, full, and slightly tannic, with focused flavors of sour cherries. This light wine, with its refined tannins and elegant finish, combines wonderfully with duck dishes, making it a versatile and sophisticated choice for various culinary pairings.
The Grand Cru status of Ambonnay reflects the highest quality designation in the Champagne region, indicating that the vineyards consistently produce grapes of superior quality. This is due in part to the meticulous care and traditional viticultural practices employed by the growers in Ambonnay, ensuring that the grapes are cultivated to the highest standards.
Using Grand Cru Pinot Noir from Ambonnay for our Coteaux Champenois Rouge allows us to create a wine that truly embodies the essence of this exceptional terroir. The wine showcases the purity and intensity of the fruit, balanced by its distinctive tasting profile. This choice not only highlights the unique characteristics of Ambonnay’s Pinot Noir but also underscores our commitment to producing wines of the highest quality.
2019
The 2019 vintage in Champagne is widely regarded as an exceptional year, despite the challenges faced during the growing season. The spring was marked by significant rainfall and three successive frost episodes, resulting in a 3% destruction of the Champagne vineyards. Following this, the summer was scorching and dry, causing an additional 11% loss of the crop. Despite these adversities, the harvest was of exceptional quality, with high potential across all grape varieties.
These unique conditions of the 2019 growing season contributed to the outstanding quality of the grapes. The combination of spring rains and summer heatwaves resulted in grapes with concentrated flavors and ideal acidity levels. The resilience of the vines through these climatic challenges underscored the robustness of the vintage, making the 2019 harvest an excellent choice for crafting a high-quality Coteaux Champenois Rouge.
Choosing the 2019 vintage ensures that our wine benefits from the unique characteristics of this exceptional year, including vibrant fruit flavors, balanced acidity, and a well-structured profile. The 2019 grapes exhibit remarkable depth and intensity, providing a strong foundation for our Coteaux Champenois Rouge.
We have also opted for a maturation period of 4 years to allow the wine to reach its full potential. This extended aging process is crucial for enhancing the complexity and depth of the wine. Over these 4 years, the wine undergoes a slow and deliberate evolution, allowing the tannins to soften and the flavors to integrate harmoniously. The result is a more refined and balanced wine with a smoother texture and a longer finish.
The 4-year maturation period allows the wine to develop secondary and tertiary aromas and flavors, adding layers of complexity that are essential for a high-quality Coteaux Champenois Rouge.