Champagne François Vallois
This estate in the Côte des Blancs produces only Premier Cru champagnes, with Chardonnay reigning supreme. This grape variety profoundly influences the estate's style, characterized by elegance and vibrant fruit expression.
The Vallois family has made a specialty of working with vintages. Ubiquitous in their range, these 100% Chardonnay Premier Cru vintages are essential for connoisseurs of fine and elegant champagnes.
François Vallois: A terroir inextricably linked to the winemaker
It’s hard to mention the estate François Vallois without referencing the Côte des Blancs. This region of Champagne is undoubtedly the most renowned within the AOC. Brought to the forefront by the great Champagne estates, it is celebrated for the finesse and elegance of its wines.
Located south of Épernay, the Côte stretches for 20 kilometers to the gates of Sézannais. It is distinct from the rest of Champagne due to the chalky nature of its soils. The rock surface here imbues the grapes with a minerality unmatched elsewhere in the appellation. Chardonnay, a grape variety particularly suited to this type of soil, absorbs a distinctive aromatic finesse. This is the playground for François Vallois champagnes, where Chardonnay overwhelmingly dominates the family estate’s offerings.
The François Vallois style
The champagnes from this estate stand out at first glance due to the prominent presence of vintages. Relatively rare and costly in Champagne, these cuvées crafted from a single year serve as the flagship of the François Vallois range. Blending multiple harvests is not favored by this winemaker, who much prefers the typicity of a single vintage. Consequently, the profiles of the champagnes vary from one cuvée to another, reflecting the character of each harvest while remaining true to the estate’s pursuit of elegance and fruit expression.
This Chardonnay-focused range also features an impressive selection of rosés, a rarity in the Côte des Blancs. The Vallois family delights us with two rosés: one blended and the other produced from maceration, proving that even in the Côte, winemakers can craft exceptional rosé champagnes.