Why it matters
The producer
Fruit is at the centre of Champagne Emile Leclère's work. The grower house makes Champagne under its own label and supplies fruit to more than 70 Champagne houses. Vincent and Marie run the family operation from Mardeuil, keeping estate production and fruit supply within the same business.
The house works with the three Champagne grape varieties planted across its vineyard estate: Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Its own range includes sparkling cuvées and Ratafia Champenois, a liqueur with a separate place in the cellar and at the table.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Champagne Emile Leclère is based at 15 Rue Victor Hugo, 51530 Mardeuil, France. Mardeuil is the fixed home of the grower house, its vineyard estate and the wines made under the Emile Leclère name.
The address also belongs to a business that sends fruit beyond its own bottles. More than 70 Champagne houses receive fruit from the operation, while Mardeuil remains the place attached to the house's own label.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The estate operates 13 hectares of vines. Pinot Meunier accounts for 70%, Chardonnay for 24% and Pinot Noir for 6%.
Pinot Meunier is the dominant planting, with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir completing the vineyard composition. In sparkling wine, these grape varieties contribute different raw materials to the base wines before the finished cuvées are assembled and bottled.
Wines to know
The range in view
The sparkling range includes Brut Réserve, 100% Meunier, Brut Nature and Cuvée du Bicentenaire Brut. Brut Réserve is a non vintage cuvée. In Champagne, non vintage wine can combine wines from more than one harvest, allowing a house to maintain a consistent style across releases.
100% Meunier names its grape directly on the bottle. Brut Nature is the zero dosage cuvée, a style finished without added sugar at dosage. The range therefore includes both a single grape expression and a drier sparkling format alongside Brut Réserve and Cuvée du Bicentenaire Brut.