Why it matters
The producer
Virginie and Laurent Vanpoperinghe lead Caillez-Lemaire. Their families have worked in wine growing since the eighteenth century. The estate's wines use Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The named cuvées differ in grape composition and ageing period. Jadis, Reflets and Éclats differ in those respects. Lees are the yeast sediment left after fermentation. Contact with lees can add bread, nut and creamy notes to sparkling wine.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Damery is the estate's home village in Champagne. Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are planted in its vineyards. These varieties bring different balances of fruit, acidity and body to a sparkling wine. Base wine precedes lees ageing, so grape balance and cellar period remain separate choices in the named cuvées.
Wines to know
The range in view
The named range includes Jadis, Reflets and Éclats. Jadis is composed of 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 10% Meunier. It undergoes very long ageing on lees for around ten years. Reflets is Meunier forward, fruity and fresh. It is aged for 24 to 36 months on slats, the supports used to rest bottles in the cellar. Éclats is aged for approximately 80 months on lees in the cellar. It shows rich notes of white fruits, citrus, flowers, almond and toasted bread.
Lees are the yeast sediment left after fermentation. Contact with lees can add bread and nut flavours, while grape composition sets the wine's initial fruit and body. The range is organized by grape composition and cellar time.