Valentin Leflaive is a Champagne house created from a collaboration between the Leflaive family of Burgundy and Champagne expertise, with the domaine based in Oger in the Côte des Blancs.

The house takes a distinctly terroir-driven approach, using a coded system on its labels to reveal the origins and style of each cuvée. For CV1930, “CV” refers to the Cramant and Vertus origins, “19” identifies the 2019 base year and “3.0” indicates the 3g/L dosage.

The house works with sustainable viticulture and hand harvests all its grapes, with careful parcel selection across the Côte des Blancs.

The result is precise, elegant Champagne with a strong sense of place.

The Champagne wine region, located in northeastern France, is the only place in the world legally permitted to produce wine labelled as Champagne. It is renowned globally for its sparkling wines made using the traditional method (méthode traditionnelle), which involves a second fermentation in the bottle.

Champagne’s cool, northern climate is a defining influence on its wine style. The region experiences low average temperatures, which help preserve acidity—crucial for sparkling wine. Its chalky soils provide excellent drainage while retaining moisture, and also contribute to the region’s signature minerality and finesse.

The region is divided into five key sub-regions: Montagne de Reims, known for structured Pinot Noir; Vallée de la Marne, which produces fruit-forward wines with a focus on Pinot Meunier; Côte des Blancs, famed for elegant Chardonnay; Côte de Sézanne, also Chardonnay-dominant; and Aube (Côte des Bar), which is increasingly recognised for high-quality Pinot Noir.

The three main grape varieties planted are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Chardonnay lends freshness and longevity; Pinot Noir provides body and structure; and Pinot Meunier contributes fruitiness and early-drinking charm.

Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular and versatile white grape varieties, originating from the Burgundy region of France. It is a relatively adaptable vine, thriving in a range of climates and soil types, making it widely planted across the globe. Chardonnay ripens early to mid-season and is known for its ability to express terroir, as well as respond well to a variety of winemaking techniques, including oak ageing and malolactic fermentation.

Today, Chardonnay is grown in nearly every major wine-producing country. In France, it shines in Burgundy’s Chablis (crisp, mineral-driven) and Côte de Beaune (rich, complex), and is also a key component of Champagne. In the New World, regions like California, Australia (Yarra Valley, Margaret River), New Zealand, and Chile produce diverse expressions, ranging from lean and citrusy to full-bodied and buttery.

Cool-climate Chardonnays tend to show green apple, lemon, and flinty notes, while warmer regions yield riper flavours like tropical fruit, peach, and melon. Oak-aged Chardonnays may exhibit vanilla, toast, and nutty characteristics, while unoaked versions highlight freshness and purity of fruit.

This remarkable flexibility makes Chardonnay a favourite among winemakers and wine lovers alike, offering a wide spectrum of styles and flavours.