100% Chardonnay from 32 year old massale selection vines growing in the lieux-dit Les Écus. A single parcel selection that exhibits the typicité of Nogent: east-facing hillside exposure and extremely chalky soil. Bottled in July 2019 and disgorged in March 2022 - 32 months on the lees - with dosage of 5 g/l. 350 cases produced.
Champagne Laborde is a 5 hectare grower domaine founded in 2017 when Delphine Laborde fulfilled her dream and took over the family vines in Nogent L'Abbesse. Prior to returning to her roots, Delphine worked 12 years with two grandes marques: first at Bollinger, reporting directly to the cellar master while diving into best ecological practices in the house's vines; subsequently as a winemaker at Veuve Clicquot.
Nogent L'Abbesse traces its winemaking history to the Middle Ages and takes its name from the abbey of Saint-Pierre aux Dames de Reims, a part of which was housed in Nogent until its destruction during the Revolution. The village is twenty minutes east of Reims on an outcropping of hills known as Monts de Berru, which was once part of the larger Montagne de Reims to the south. Soils in this area are extremely chalky, with mostly southeastern exposures and Chardonnay thrives here. Grapes from Nogent readily command the same prices as 1er Cru villages.
In the vineyard: 95% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir with an average age of 30 years.
Progressively farmed: no pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers. Only shallow plowing, experimenting with permaculture, with the goal of promoting maximum biodiversity. From Delphine: “the soil is our heritage.”
In the cellar: Only first press juice is used. All taille is sold. SO2 is only added at pressing. All ferments are spontaneous. Gravity fed cellar built in 2017 allows for parcel by parcel vinification. Delicate and precise handling with the goal of creating complex,
textural wines without sacrificing the inherent elegance of Nogent’s chalky soils