Fleut de Champagne 1997

A rare, fully mature library vintage from Duval-Leroy (a classic Chardonnay-dominant blend with Pinot Noir sourced from Premier Cru vineyards), showcasing the opulent, rich, and honeyed evolution of a warm late-90s vintage.

The nose is deep, tertiary, and beautifully expressive, opening with candied citrus peel, dried apricots, and baked yellow apples, unwinding into rich autolytic layers of acacia honey, toasted hazelnuts, white truffle, dark caramel, and a gentle waft of beeswax. On the palate, the wine is broad, vinous, and velvety, with a soft, fully integrated mousse that melts onto the tongue. The core of preserved fruit, marzipan, and warm pastry spice is balanced by a remarkably steady, fine-grained vein of acidity that maintains freshness and prevents any heavy over-ripeness. It finishes long, savory, and dry, leaving a lingering trail of walnut skin, dried fig, and chalky salinity.