Champagne Extra Brut
Le Lion Tome VI

The Champagne Le Lion by Domaine Les Croix from Gaspard Brochet embodies one of the purest and most powerful interpretations of Pinot Noir, an expression of the artisanal and experimental vision of the vigneron from Écueil, on the south-western slope of the Montagne de Reims. The grapes come from Mont Benoît (lieu-dit), planted in 1985 near the Premier Cru of Villers-aux-Nœuds, where the silty soil with surfacing chalk lends the wine verticality, salinity and mineral tension. With this Blanc de Noirs, Gaspard Brochet continues his research into the living matter of wine, exploring the relationship between energy, structure and depth, in a project that weaves together technique and instinct, where precision, sensitivity and creative freedom unite to convey the most authentic voice of the terroir.

This edition, Tome VI built on the 2022 harvest, is made exclusively from Pinot Noir grapes, with a vinification that follows a gravity-fed approach in oak barrels, without fining, racking or filtration and with barrels left unfilled, fostering a slight controlled oxidation that enhances complexity and aromatic depth. After the tirage comes an ageing on its own lees for a minimum period of 24 months, while at dégorgement the final dosage of 1 g/l, in an Extra Brut style, safeguards its varietal purity and expressive clarity.

On tasting, Le Lion Tome VI stands out for its measured strength and tactile precision. The bouquet is deep and vibrant, with notes of ripe raspberry, pomegranate, liquorice, light smoke and sweet spices, underpinned by a distinct chalky imprint. On the palate it is full and vertical, animated by an incisive freshness that converses with a creamy and savoury material. The finish is long and crystalline, with echoes of candied citrus, graphite and toasted hazelnut, closing on a finale of extraordinary energy and purity, elegantly signing the oenological poetics of Gaspard Brochet, a modern interpreter of the most authentic and profound Pinot Noir.