Wine Critic
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Diebolt-Vallois “Fleur de Passion” Blanc de Blancs Brut 2015 is a single-plot, Grand Cru Champagne from very old Chardonnay vines in Cramant, bottled as a serious, complex, ageworthy vintage cuvée. It shows the house’s hallmark purity and mineral drive, but with extra depth, nuttiness and savory complexity from the 2015 vintage and extended lees aging.
Site and identity
Fleur de Passion comes from a handful of carefully selected parcels in Cramant Grand Cru, planted to Chardonnay vines aged 45–90 years. The cuvée is a single-plot, terroir-focused wine, positioned as the estate’s prestige expression of Cramant chalk and old-vine Chardonnay.
Technical tasting note
Appearance: Pale gold with a very fine, energetic mousse; clear, luminous robe.
Nose: Citrus, white flowers, chalk, brioche, almond, toasted hazelnut, smoky and subtle herbal notes, with tobacco and mineral echoes.
Palate: Taut, firm and deeper, with bitter-juicy fruit, bright acidity, nutty, yeasty, smoky layers and a distinctly mineral, chalky core.
Finish: Long, dry and precise, with lingering citrus, stone, light tobacco and a clean, saline close.
Winemaking and style
Fleur de Passion is 100% Chardonnay from the oldest Cramant vines, vinified in a classic, quality-oriented style with extended lees aging. The wine is positioned as a complex, traditional-style Blanc de Blancs, combining ripe 2015 fruit with strong tension and a food-friendly, gastronomic profile.
Buying outlook
This is a top-tier grower Champagne for collectors and serious lists who want a pure Cramant expression with real depth and aging potential. The 2015 vintage is described as firm, nutty and smoky, with excellent intensity and length, making it compelling both for near-term drinking and mid- to long-term cellaring.
Food pairing
It pairs beautifully with oysters, shellfish, crab, lobster, turbot, sole and other noble white fish. It also works very well with refined cream-based fish dishes, roasted poultry and aged cheeses where acidity and mineral cut can balance richness.
