David Leclapart: A Visit That Touched Our Hearts

Champagne · Trépail, Montagne de Reims

In life, we visit vineyards that stay with us not only because of the wine, but because of everything that surrounds them: the generosity of the people, the simplicity of the place, and a connection that seems to have existed for much longer than time would suggest. Our visit to David Leclapart was exactly that.

We arrived in Trépail on a cold afternoon, running a bit late after rushing over from Chablis, where we had visited Athénaïs de Béru, a dear friend of the Leclapart family. David welcomed us into his home alongside his beloved wife Carole and their son Martin—the new generation that, little by little and quite naturally, is taking the reins of production. From the very first moment, we felt genuine, unpretentious hospitality—the kind that turns a professional visit into a truly intimate experience.

The conversation flowed as if we'd known each other for years. We'd like to thank our friend Alejandro Chavarro for making this very special introduction. Without him, this meeting wouldn't have happened.

The movement toward grower champagnes is relatively recent. What we now experience as a major trend—with an entire generation of consumers discovering the terroir of Champagne—has only been truly established in the market for a little over two decades. But David Leclapart was already there long before that. In 1999, he bottled L’Apôtre for the first time, sourced from the oldest plot of his vineyards, planted by his grandfather. Terroir, identity, minimal intervention. Everything that is celebrated today, he was already practicing when almost no one was talking about it. And he did so in one of the most demanding and unpredictable climates in all of France—and all of Champagne!—guided by the principles of biodynamics, at a time when that word still sounded like heresy to the vast majority of producers. Leclapart didn’t follow a trend. He helped create it.

“David Leclapart’s cellar is probably the smallest we’ve ever seen in our lives.”

The cellar in Trépail: a few barrels, a vision.

When we entered the cellar, we were shocked! There, right in front of us, were just a few barrels. That’s all. You can see in the video below—it really is just that. That’s all David needs to produce Champagnes that rank among the most sought-after and revered in the world!! It’s all so minimalist and simple that it feels like we’ve entered the first part of the cellar… and the rest is missing. For many years, he was literally a one-man operation running the entire estate: the vineyards, the cellar, the wines. A solo symphony in Trépail.

O Terroir

Trépail: The Secret of the Mountain

David cultivates 3 hectares of Premier Crus in Trépail, certified biodynamic since 2000, spread across twenty-two plots (just imagine the work involved in tending all those micro-plots!). About 90% is Chardonnay, a rarity in a region where Pinot Noir dominates the landscape of the Montagne de Reims. The remainder is Pinot Noir, vinified as red Coteaux Champenois or as blanc de noirs Champagne.

Trépail is a terroir that demands everything from those who work it. The higher elevation of the Montagne de Reims brings with it a cooler and harsher climate than the neighboring villages: when the snow melts in Ambonnay and Bouzy, everything in Trépail is still white. The humidity of the soil and climate creates constant challenges, but it is precisely this pressure that gives the grapes a tension, acidity, and minerality found nowhere else (except in the neighboring village of Villers-Marmery, where our producer, A. Margaine, is located).

The forest surrounding the village has a marked influence: flint erosion flowing down from the mountain floods the terroirs below, and the soils range from Upper to Lower Campanian. Same geological period, two distinct profiles.  The soils consist of only 40 to 80 centimeters of topsoil over limestone bedrock, and it is precisely this scarcity that forces the roots to dig deep and extract the most mineral-rich and intense elements from this east-facing slope. In the northernmost plots, the soil gains a bit of depth and flint outcrops appear—the flint that imparts notes of menthol and anise to the wine, along with a sharp acidity and a vitality that few terroirs in Champagne can match. It is from this tension, this limestone austerity, that David Leclapart’s Champagnes are born—today an absolute benchmark for the village and for the entire Montagne de Reims.

David discovered biodynamics after a lecture by Nicolas Joly that left a deep impression on him. Since then, there has been no turning back. The vineyards are tended with an almost monastic dedication, and not by chance: at one point in his life, David considered becoming a monk. There is something contemplative about him, a connection to the land that goes far beyond viticulture.

Leflaive, No Dosage, No Rush

Leclapart’s wines are all produced without dosage and with sulfur content reduced to a minimum. For fermentation, David uses secondhand barrels acquired from Domaine Leflaive in Burgundy, a connection that shapes the aromatic profile and structure of his Champagnes. Only L’Amateur is not aged in wood; all other cuvées are fully or partially fermented in barrels.

Since the 2020 harvest, his son Martin has officially joined the domaine. As of 2023, he is responsible for all the Coteaux Champenois cuvées, a line that will be launched for the first time this year. It’s exciting to see a story like this being passed down, with care and continuity.

Four Champagnes. One Vision.

L'Amateur
A blend of six vineyard parcels in Trépail. Fermented exclusively in stainless steel and enamel tanks, with no oak influence. This is the perfect introduction to the world of David Léclapart—and what an introduction it is. The 2022 vintage was warm and generous, yet beautifully suited to Léclapart's terroir, resulting in a Champagne of richness, balance and remarkable harmony.

L'Artiste
Made from 50-year-old Chardonnay vines and fermented entirely in old barrels from Domaine Leflaive. As David Léclapart describes it, this cuvée is a "discovery of terroir": each vintage comes from a different parcel, offering a new lesson and a new perspective. "I'm looking for pleasure," he says. A single-vintage Champagne with no reserve wines.

L'Apôtre
The estate's flagship cuvée. Produced from 100% Chardonnay grown in the historic La Pierre Saint-Martin parcel, planted in 1946. Fermented in second-fill barrels from Domaine Leflaive, it is a Champagne of extraordinary concentration, depth and precision.

L'Astre
Formerly known as L'Alchimiste. Produced from 100% Pinot Noir sourced from 40- to 50-year-old vines in the Le Champ Janvrai and La Fleuranne parcels, in the southern part of Trépail. Barrel fermented and bottled with zero dosage, it is a remarkably pure and expressive interpretation of Pinot Noir.

David Léclapart's Champagnes are at once austere and generous, taut yet profoundly layered, with a chalky minerality that lingers long on the palate. These are wines that ask questions—and leave you wanting to return to Trépail in search of the answers.