Edouard Duval - Domaine St. Eulalie

Producer information

Edouard comes from the famous Duval-Leroy family dynasty, which has been producing champagne for six generations. Edouard always felt like a black sheep there, because he wanted to go his own way and not join the family business. So he first went to Shanghai and founded a successful wine importing company there.

In 2000, however, he inherited a domain that his grandfather had taken over in 1950. This was the domain of Sainte Eulalie in Bligny, which was founded in the 11th century by the Cluny Abbey. This abbey played a very important role in the development of viticulture and winemaking in the Cote des Bar region since the 8th century. The monks brought vineyard techniques from Burgundy with them from domains as famous as Romanee St. Vivant. Edouard began restoring the domaine, built a cellar and press house and began vinifying his own champagnes in 2015. 2019 was the first year that his champagnes appeared.

Domaine Sainte Eulalie owns 28 hectares of contiguous vineyards (monopoly) with 80% Pinot Noir, 19% Chardonnay and 1% Meunier. The vines are on average 30 years old.

Edouard's goal is to combine the tradition of this historic domaine with an innovative approach that works as close to nature as possible and produces champagne with an emphasis on terroir. The model is an organic cultivation method and new technologies such as solar technology are used to generate electricity.

Edouard Duval's champagnes are characterized by their delicate fruit, they are subtle, floral, elegant, delicate, rather feminine but with a penetrating, long-lasting aroma. This is a style that we also find, for example, in Cedric Bouchard, Bichery or Etienne Sandrin.

Facts: R.M., Bligny, Aube, 28ha, Monopollage