David Léclapart Cuvée l'Amateur Pas Dosé NV
- Region
- France » Champagne » Champagne AOC » Montagne de Reims
- Type
- white traditional sparkling, brut nature
- Producer
- Vintage
- NV, based on 2020
- Disgorged
- 2024-04
- On lees
- ~36 months
- Grapes
- Chardonnay
- Alcohol
- 12.5
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- not available
- Find at
Ratings
Sake, candy, green apple, and a touch of bitter herbs. A bit restrained on the nose. On the palate, the acidity is razor-sharp, almost piercing. There's an interesting echo of sake in the finish, and the mousse is delicate, though it fades quickly.
What's missing is a sense of wine-ness - it feels a bit underbuilt, leaving the sharpness unjustified. I didn't fully connect with it - maybe it just needs significantly more time in bottle. Still, now I'm curious to explore the producer's more ambitious cuvées, especially those with barrel ageing, which might offer the structure this one lacks. Still, it's a great wine.
About Producer
David Léclapart is one of Champagne's most distinctive voices (that I haven't tasted before lol) - a winemaker who's not only deeply rooted in tradition but also radically committed to pushing boundaries. He represents the fourth generation to farm his family's small 3-hectare estate in Trépail, a premier cru village nestled in the Montagne de Reims. He took over after his father passed away in 1996 and released his first wines under his own name in 1998.
What sets him apart? First, the farming. Léclapart was among the very first in Champagne to convert fully to biodynamics, earning both Ecocert and Demeter certification back in 2000 - a bold move in a region long wedded to industrial farming and blending. His entire production (with exception of entry-level cuvée) is single-vineyard, single-vintage, with no reserve wine and no dosage. Just a pure, transparent expression of place and year.