April 2026

Meet Champagne Alexis Leconte

Alexis Leconte is a superhuman winemaker. He is a force that has really taken some time for me to wrap my head around. His winemaking feels avant garde, a bit woo-woo on the surface, but once you dig a bit deeper you see that he is a true visionary.

His vineyards are farmed with biodynamic principals and each plot gets their own special treatment so that they produce exactly what he wants, their best potential. In the cellars he is equally as thoughtful. A plot that grows on sandstone is aged in a sandstone egg amphora. He has a barrel made from trees in his village and the vineyard in its shadow is aged in that barrel each year. He has 5,000 gallon old oak Alsatian barrels that his grandfather bought where he ages his reserve wines, truly the history of the house.

Additionally, Alexis is a talented distiller as well. He makes whiskey, gin and a whole host of liquors. It is always a treat to wander his cellar with a glass and wine thief to sample all there is to sample. 

The Wines

We are digging deep in to the potential of this grape this month and these two bottles are stunning examples of how great it can actually be! Less that half a hectare in Alexis’ home village of Troissy among the rolling hills north of the Marne River. 

Ageius is a single vineyard, 100% Grand Cru Pinot Noir from Aÿ. There is no synthetic spray or treatments used in the vineyards and it sits a perfect 150m, mid slope and is dosed minimally with 3 g/L.   Why we love it: The wild fruit flavors explode out of the glass.   The vibe: We're popping this bottle during our next BBQ.

Acheilla is a cuvee that does not exist any longer, these are the last bottles in existence. The plot is tiny and Alexis has decided to make a few less single vineyard wines, which is a shame because this is an absolutely stunning bottle of Pinot Noir.    Why we love it: This is smoky and spicy, which gives way to fresh fruit aromas.    The vibe: Sunday brunch with mushroom tarts or quiche lorraine.