From: Champagne, France
Varietal: 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 10% Meunier
Taste & Critical Acclaim: Can there be a better example of the art of blending grapes and vintages than Diebolt's "Tradition" Brut? Made from 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 10% Meunier, based on the 2021 vintage, and kept on the lees for three years until it's disgorgement in June 2024. The current cuvée is a bit drier than normal, dosed at 3 grams/liter. Isabelle Diebolt (who is married to Jean-Paul Hebrart, by the way; no wonder we love her wines!) has outdone herself with this new version of the "Tradition." Beautifully balanced, nuanced Champagne. Only 800 cases produced.
Wine Spectator : 92 pts
Like an orchard in late spring, this blends floral and fruit notes of ripe apple, white cherry and apricot. There's a firm backbone of zesty acidity and underlying minerality, with a lingering hint of ginger on the finish.
Pairing: This champagne will be as versatile on the table as in your glass. Whether you decide to pair this with appetizers, seafood, poultry, or a fromage course, you’ll be a happy camper with this champagne. Some ideas for seafood include serving this with smoked salmon, grilled fish collars, garlicky crab and brown butter pasta, seared scallops, pan-seared or grilled shrimp or white fish, and crab cakes. Other ideas for inspiration include serving this alongside snacks like gougeres and squash blossom empanadas, or heartier meals like rotisserie chicken, lemony garlic chicken (or fried chicken or mushrooms— check out Sophon’s appetizer menu for these bites), and chicken or pork in a mushroom cream sauce.
About. Diebolt-Vallois is a small, family-run Champagne house based in the Grand Cru village of Cramant, in the Côte des Blancs. With just 11 hectares—mostly in prime Chardonnay terroir—the estate produces finely textured, mineral-driven wines rooted in chalk soils and southeast-facing slopes. While Chardonnay is the focus, they also farm small plots of Pinot Noir and Meunier in the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Bar. Farming is a hands-on and traditional process, utilizing natural malolactic fermentation and low dosage, reserve wines age in large oak casks deep in chalk cellars. Founded by Jacques Diebolt in 1959, the domaine is now run with equal dedication by his children, Arnaud and Isabelle, who personally manage every aspect of the process. Diebolt-Vallois is a benchmark for artisanal grower Champagne from the Côte des Blancs.
