Les Pleiades is a blend of equally Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier from Saulchery in a lieut-dit called Les Chapelles. 100% from harvest 2018. The wine fermented in barrels and right after malolactic racked to a stainless steel tanks. It was bottled in July 2020 and disgorged with 0 dosage in November 2022.
Jerome Lefevre name this cuvee Pleiades in reference to his 7 different parcels he debuted his domaine with, also The Pleiades, in greek mythology, were the companions of Artemis, the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione born on Mount Cyllene.
Just like the artist Ben Shahn said ““Art is always visionary. Art always disturbs present realities, however satisfactory they may seem to the rest of the world.” I believe Jerome Lefevre is an artist consistently pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable in Champagne. His farming and winemaking can be described nonconformist.
Jérôme Lefevre, from Champagne Delalot, is one of those exciting artist that continues the fundamental idea of seeking unknown gems that propels Avant-Garde movement.
Jérôme is a native of the “Far West” of the Marne valley, at the edge of the Champagne appellation, in the towns of Saulchery, Charly Sur Marne, Bonneil and Crogy. Here, Jérôme creates Champagne Delalot and Champagne Jerome Lefevre.
Jérôme’s teenage years were guided by a deep passion for heavy metal and the family life of vineyards trained by his mother, Eliane Delalot. Not till several years of working as an art critic and art curator did Jerome’s passion towards the craft of Champagne arise. Elaine’s respectful farming practices became organic certification under Jerome’s direction in 2009. Inspired by the Fukuoka principals of farming, Jerome began his journey into winemaking. Since his first harvest in 2013, Jerome has grown his vineyards from 1ha to 1.5ha while tending to his land like a gardener. He does not use any heavy machinery, including tractors. The vineyards are located on slopes facing south and southeast with predominately sandy soil and some clay.
It’s impossible to classify Jerome’s style. Each cuvées come from specific parcels and are experimental. He seeks the boundaries of what Champagne allows him to do and sometimes tries new techniques while maintaining respect of the terroir. As it is hard to find more vineyards, Jerome’s Champagne Delalot production is limited to 5,000 bottles.
Seeking to further push experimentation, Jerome started an additional project in 2017 with a micro-negoce named Champagne Jérôme Lefevre. These cuvées are even more avant-garde, Rated X (named in honor of the Miles Davis’s album) is a wine without dosage but full or residual sugar backed with acidity. The Coteaux Champenois Composition #2 is made from red grapes vinified white and aged in barrels with some oxidative moments through the aging.
As Champagne changes, Jerome is at the forefront of a new generation of wine producers that offer us wine lovers with that thrill of a first-time or second-time discovery.
