Wines News & People
The Côte des Bar area where Dosnon & Lepage is located in the Avirey-Lingey region is well known for its hard limestone soil (Kimmeridgien sub-soil like Chablis) and sunny Burgundy climate.
The winery was founded in 2005 by Avirey-Lingey brethren, Davy Doson and Simon-Charles Lepage (above) whom both decided the best wine route was to express their wine expertise and their surrounding terroir from . Dosnon studied viticulture and winemaking, while previously working for Serge Mathieu and Moutard Père et Fils, as well as at Rossignol-Trapet in Burgundy. While Simon-Charles Lepage, whom we met is a Criminal lawyer by training, whom decided to hang his cloak and wig in favor of the vine. The two decided to put their minds together to create a new champagne house, intended to express the terroirs of their native region.
“We are located in the southern part of the Champagne area which means we are very close to Burgundy. We want our wines to show a pure expression, its fruitiness, .and to show how the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay has to offer from this area. Our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir has more fruit and more fuller bodied as our area is warmer, with our main intention and ideals is to really reveal the best part from the Champagne area, Cote d’ Bar. We wanted to show how a new and modern Champagne is like, while retaining its classic characteristics most of the time. ” Co-founder and winery director, Simon-Charles Lepage, March 2010.
As Simon explains, Dosnon and Lepage owns two hectares of vines in Avirey-Lingey and purchase more fruit for their Champagne wines from other growers from about 5 additional hectares in the surrounding area, making for a total production of around 60,000 bottles a year. On scene, they have 4 different cuvées, with a vintage bottling in the works. The vineyards are planted with some 80% Pinot Noir, with 20% Chardonnay. The house’s viticulture practices solely in the organic camp, with no artificial fertilizers used, using a combination of methods including weed control, turfing (favour microbial life and ground biodynamy), pruning, and yield control and so forth. The wines are aged in small French oak barrels (made from Puligny-Montrachet) and are neither fined nor filtered prior to bottling.
Dosnon & Lepage belongs to a league of non-Vintage Growers such as, Agrapart, Francoise Bedel, Henri Billiot, Pierre Callot, RH Coutier, Pascal Doquet, Godme Pere et Fils, Marc Hebrart, Lallier, Jean Laurent, Michel Loriot, Nicolas Maillart, Jean Milan, Pierre Moncuit, Moutard, Ployez-Jacquemart, Rodez, Louis de Sacy, Alan Soutiran, and Tarlant. Simon mentioned plans are underway to make the house’s first vintage Champagne, with its first vintage in 2008, due to the extraordinary “high acidity found in our wines”.,
90% of their wines exported, and mostly to on-trade clients including Restaurants, and wine retailers, with a minority 10% shipped to direct customers. The wines of Dosnon & Lepage can be found in our markets, with Artisan Cellars in Singapore, and Limestone Wines in Hong Kong.
For more information, please visit www.champagne-dosnon.com. Our photo presentation of this Champagne house can also be viewed online here.
Overall, this is an impressive Champagne house, despite it’s recent history as a Champagne producer, Doson and Simon does make and market very nice fun and cheer filled bubbly wines which have been impressive, especially their Blanc de Blanc, a 100% Chardonnay based cuvee which doesn’t fade and is consistent on the palate. For food pairing with today’s gourmets, they should pair well with today’s Chinese cuisines, especially southern, Yunan, Cantonese and Guangzhou styles, such as the every week Cantonese Dim Sum and Steamed Meat Dumplings, and I look forward to tasting many more of them in the near future.
N.V. Dosnon & Lepage Blanc de Noirs “Récolte Noire”
12.0%. 100% Pinot Noir. Bottled entirely from 2008 reserve wines, the Récolte Noire was pure Pinot Noir and started off well with pleasant fruit scents, and floral aromas, pleasing to nose and in sight. The palate was soft and restrained initially, with a tight restraining pull. A few seconds later, it shredded off its initial quietness to reveal a vibrancy which sinks well without too strong acidity which gave the palate a refreshing feel, plucking bold fruit flavors as it interacts with the surrounding environment and air in the glass. Good. Drink from 2010 to 2016. 12.0.
N.V. Dosnon & Lepage Blanc de Blanc “Récolte Blanche”
12.0%. 100% Chardonnay. This was an attractive bubbly with a core of elegance and deliciousness, possessing clarity of iron rich mineral and typicality, which could be a result of the winery’s beliefs in its rich soil characteristics. Captivating for the first few moments, with a firm mineral grip, slicing through your scent receptors with precision and clinical cleanness, which emits brightly from the glass. Medium-bodied, the well-honed and refined palate was balanced, while clouding your palate with its inert mineral subtleness and a persistent medium long finish. Drink between 2010 to 2018. 14.0.
N.V. Dosnon & Lepage Extra-Brut “Récolte Brute”
12.0%. 70% Pinot Noir, and 30% Chardonnay. The Récolte Brute exhaled a deep impression of cleanness and crispy clear acid and fruit infused aromas. Medium-bodied, while it retained it’s freshness due to the influence of it’s fresh acid residents, the palate doesn’t over power your taste-buds with is dryness. Rather restrained, giving a little, taking back a little, leaving a hint of dryness well after-taste. A well structured and balanced dry Champagne styled wine. Drink between 2010 to 2012. 13.0.
N.V. Dosnon & Lepage Extra-Brut “Récolte Rose”
12.0%. 100% Pinot Noir. This Rose came across to be as a sweetened fruit filled nose accompanied by a streak of mineral tone and some raspberry aromas. The palate was rather nice, and it seemed to me it was made in a sophisticated style which some may come to appreciate, while dry, it showed some balance with behind the scene freshness which stayed on vinously. Short on mid palate and finish. Drink between 2010 to 2012. 12.5.