Simon-Charles Lepage & Davy Dosnon |
Country of Origin: France
Location: Avirey-Lingey, Aube Valley
People: Davy Dosnon & Nicolas Laugerotte, Owners & Winemakers
Dosnon & Lepage is the partnership of two men, Simon-Charles Lepage and Davy Dosnon, who have combined their skills for the sake of a single mission: the production of Grands Vins de Champagne. (Simon Lepage has since split and Nicolas Laugerotte is the new partner.) Natives of Avirey-Lingey in the Côte des Bar (Aube Valley), they wanted to create modern and ecologically sustainable Maison de Champagne, endeavoring to achieve excellence and to honor and celebrate the diversity and quality of the terroirs.
Found in the southern part of the Champagne region, the vineyards are situated on rolling hills of Kimmeridgian soil like in Chablis and parts of Sancerre. This terroir, dominated by clayey-limestone soils, inspires particularly rich aromas and flavors in the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which acquire an exceptional finesse and fruitiness as they age. Dosnon & Lepage cultivates a two-hectare vineyard located in Avirey-Lingey and currently receives grapes from approximately five hectares of other vintners. No chemicals are ever used.
The grapes are always harvested by hand. They use vertical pressers, and during the extraction process, their design reduces the movement of the grapes to a minimum, releasing the finest, least-stained and perfectly lucid juices. Vinification takes place for the most part in contact with wood, followed by an optimum aging process with the goal in mind of developing complex and full champagnes while preserving their finesse and their purity with a low dosage. However, according to the variety of the grapes and the years, the weaker or less-structured wines must ferment in tanks to awaken their freshness, their acidity, and their fruit.
Traditionally, the three varieties of grapes of the Champagne region, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, rising from different crus and terroir, are brought together to create a 'brut sans annee'. However, at Dosnon & Lepage they wanted to take a differnet direction, one which diverges from this assemblage type. Always careful to respect the search for the purest expression of the terroir, they blend reserve wines at 100% of each of the two noble varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, to create unique 'Cuvées mono cépages' that epitomize la Côte des Bar.
The fundamental philosophy of Dosnon & Lepage is one of harmony: harmony of mankind, of terroirs, and of wine in their environment. Since 2002, 1% For The Planet has inspired members of the business community to contribute 1% of sales to 1679 environmental groups around the world. In return, this growing alliance of companies is given the opportunity not only to see their self-worth rise, but their net worth climb as well. Dosnon & Lepage is a member of 1% For The Planet since December 2007 and has chosen Patagonia as their environmental group.
The Wine Advocate 11/2013
"Davy Dosnon and Simon-Charles Lepage – no doubt influenced by the former’s studies and labors in Burgundy – raise all of their base wines in used barrels from an address in Puligny-Montrachet, generally relying on spontaneous fermentation, and never fining or filtering. It’s also Dosnon who brought inherited acreage to the table, which conditioned the pair’s locating their cellar in the southern Côtes des Bar, whence they purchase additional
grapes."
Media Links
The New York Times Dining & Wine: Champagne's Servants Join the Masters
SFGate: Champagne's Aube gets a moment to sparkle
ChampagneGuide.net: Dosnon & Lepage
Scalawine: Champagne Dosnon & Lepage
Social Media
Dosnon & Lepage Facebook
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| Current Items from Dosnon & Lepage |
| Cat # |
|
Pack-Size |
Net |
Reviews |
| 2943 |
Dosnon & Lepage NV Recolte Noire (Blanc de Noirs), Champagne AOC |
6-750 |
$280 |
WS 91 IWC 92 WA 91 WS 92 |
| 4385 |
Dosnon & Lepage NV Recolte Blanche (Blanc de Blancs), Champagne AOC |
6-750 |
$280 |
IWC 91 IWC 92 WA 91 WS 91 |
| 4993 |
Dosnon & Lepage NV Recolte Rose, Champagne AOC |
6-750 |
$280 |
IWC 93 WA 89 WS 90 |
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