Alexis Leconte

History of Champagne Alexis Leconte

The adventure began in 1861 with Onésime Leconte, who brought viticulture to the family and already forged an intimate relationship with the soil. From generation to generation, one Leconte followed another, without interruption or acquisition. Aimé, the grandfather, envisioned the essence of a quality estate by plowing his soils and patiently tending his vines. Xavier, the father, structured the operation in the 1980s and built a range thanks to a new press, smaller tanks, and initial soil studies. A child of the Vallée de la Marne, Alexis joined the estate in 2013 after studies in Champagne and experiences in Burgundy and Alsace.

From these travels, Alexis returned with a genuine philosophy of terroir. From his very arrival, he eliminated herbicides, returned to the plow, deepened his knowledge of the soils, and conceived new single lieu-dit wines of ever greater precision. From 2015 onwards, he took sole charge of the family estate: Champagne Xavier Leconte then gave way to Champagne A. Leconte, echoing this continuity. His logo, in which a lion (his astrological sign) intertwines with a deeply anchored root, encapsulates his quest: to express the living energy of the soils through honest and heartfelt Champagnes.

Terroirs and Vines of Champagne Alexis Leconte

The vineyard of Champagne A. Leconte spreads across some forty plots scattered between Troissy, Dormans, Mareuil-le-Port, Vandières, and Aÿ, allowing for the exploration of great geological diversity: sandy, sandstone, clay, calcareous, pebbly, millstone, and chalky soils. Pinot Meunier, long underestimated, holds a place of honor here and reveals its full versatility according to the terroir. On the deep, supple soils of sand, sandstone, and clay of Les Cotéas, it expresses its fruit, indulgence, and power. On the more calcareous terroirs of La Perchotte and La Forzie, the wines gain in tension and vinosity. The Chardonnay of Longues Raies, on ochre pebbles and millstone, delivers an elegant floral character, while the Pinot Noir of La Fosse, in Aÿ Grand Cru, draws its structure from a chalk mound resting on red clay.

Work in the vineyard is conducted with the utmost respect for living things. Committed to biodynamic practices since 2016 and certified in organic farming from the 2023 harvest, Alexis Leconte has cared for his soils since 2015 through plowing, the complete abandonment of herbicides, and the use of fermented plant extracts and decoctions. He intervenes sparingly, but always with precision, and works according to lunar cycles, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, in order to preserve the energy of the soil and the singularity of each plot.

Winemaking at Champagne Alexis Leconte

Winemaking at Champagne A. Leconte is built on a simple conviction: only clear, still wines of great precision deserve to become Champagnes. Pressing and decanting are deliberately gentle to respect the integrity of the grapes and, contrary to Champagne practice, the juices are not separated into cuvées and tailles, in order to preserve the full identity of the fruit and terroir. Aging takes inspiration from Burgundy: it takes place largely in 400-liter barrels, but also in large casks and stoneware or terracotta jars, followed by a rest on fine lees.

True to a minimal-intervention approach, Alexis often blocks malolactic fermentation and forgoes bâtonnage to preserve the tension and brightness of the fruit. Rackings and transfers always follow the lunar calendar, and aging on laths generally extends from eighteen to twenty-four months, or even longer for certain cuvées. Dosage remains very low, between 0 and 6 g/L depending on the wine, to deliver each Champagne in its purest truth.

The cuvées of Champagne Alexis Leconte

Totem is the signature cuvée, the true DNA of the estate. This blend of the three Champagne grape varieties (approximately 70% Pinot Meunier, 20% Pinot Noir, and 10% Chardonnay) is vinified in barrels and aged for at least three years, for a lightly dosed brut at 6 g/L. A reflection of the historic encépagement of the family vineyard, it reveals a complex nose of yellow-fleshed fruits, blackberry, and spices, and a palate balanced between density and freshness, enhanced by a creamy and floral touch. A symbol of the transmission between Alexis and his father, Totem is also available in a rosé version.

La Terre des Cotéas is a pure Meunier (100%) from the historic Cotéas lieu-dits in Troissy, on soils of limestone over colluvium and sandy, pebbly clays. Aged in Burgundian barrels and terracotta jars, then aged three years on laths with a dosage of 4 g/L, this cuvée is generous, powerful, and vibrant, with beautiful notes of citrus and linden, supported by a fine mineral depth.

Arietis is a sunny cuvée, also 100% Meunier, but undosed (0 g/L), therefore a brut nature. Sourced from the sandy-calcareous and clay-limestone terroir of Vandières, it is aged in 400-liter barrels for three years on laths. Its spicy profile, marked by aromas of blackberry and spices, makes it an ideal companion for Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Aria is the estate's Blanc de Blancs, a 100% Chardonnay born from the historic Longues Raies plot in Troissy, on ochre pebbles and millstone. Fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged in tank and barrel then long-refined in the cellar, it is offered in extra brut at 3 g/L. Structured and refined, it unfolds aromas of acacia, jasmine, candied pineapple, mandarin, and peach, carried by a chalky minerality and a long, saline, and vibrant finish.

Ageius is a 100% Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs, classified as AOC Champagne Aÿ Grand Cru, sourced from the chalk and red clay terroir of La Fosse. Aged in Burgundian barrels and terracotta jars, then aged three years on laths with a dosage of 3 g/L, it expresses the full nobility of its great terroir: the finesse of the chalk elevates captivating notes of wild strawberry and blueberry, in a whole that combines structure and elegance.

The estate rounds out its range with still wines under the Coteaux Champenois appellation, offered in both red and white, as well as an indulgent Ratafia Champenois made from the mistelle of its own grapes. Alongside his Champagnes, Alexis Leconte also crafts, under the HERESIA label, his own plant and citrus liqueurs, a natural extension of his quest for flavor and terroir.