Duval-Leroy Femme de Champagne Brut 1996: A Toast-Worthy Cuvee
Champagne 12% ABV ABV Duval-Leroy
3 March 2026
30 year old champagne that tastes alive
Can't believe this is from 1996 and still tastes so fresh and zippy. Green apple and lemon with these amazing toasty notes underneath. Shared it with three friends and we all just sat there grinning. Pure Chardonnay doing its thing.
9 January 2026
Worth every single penny
Bought this for our 25th wedding anniversary and wow. The bubbles are so fine and elegant, and that toasted almond flavour just keeps going and going. At £525 it's not an everyday thing obviously, but for a once-in-a-lifetime occasion? Absolutely perfect.
30 December 2025
Amazing but hard to justify the cost
Got this as a birthday present from my husband. It's genuinely one of the best champagnes I've ever had, super complex with this lovely chalky mineral thing on the finish. But £525 is a LOT of money for a bottle of fizz, even one this good. Would I buy it myself? Probably not.
23 December 2025
Speechless
My wine group pooled money to try this and none of us could stop talking about it. The acidity is just electric — keeps everything so precise and fresh for something nearly 30 years old. That dry mineral finish at the end is something else. Easily the best champagne I've ever tasted.
29 October 2025
Gift from a client, glad I saved it
Had this sitting in my wine fridge for a year before opening it for New Year's. So glad I waited for the right moment. Incredibly smooth with tiny bubbles and this gorgeous brioche smell. The finish just goes on forever. Not something I'd buy at full price but an absolute treat to drink.
17 October 2025
Very good but not £525 good
Look, it's a lovely champagne. Really elegant, nice long finish, proper grown-up stuff. But I've had bottles at half this price that made me just as happy. The brioche and almond notes are beautiful though, I'll give it that.
11 October 2025
Treated myself for a promotion
Splurged on this to celebrate and no regrets. It's proper fancy champagne — you can taste the difference from your usual supermarket stuff straight away. Loads of toasty almond and citrus flavours. Went brilliantly with some fish and chips weirdly enough.
2 October 2025
Finally tried it
Had this at a restaurant last month after the sommelier suggested it. Nearly fell off my chair at the price but honestly it was incredible — the lemon curd and brioche thing everyone talks about is real. Still thinking about it weeks later.