Drappier Cuvée Charles de Gaulle Brut Champagne NV 750ml

In the1960s, when General Charles de Gaullewas not at the Élysée Palaceor on official business, heretired to La Boisserie — hisprivate residence inColombey-les-Deux-Églises, the villagein the hills of theHaute-Marne where he had lived with hisfamily since the 1930s and where hewould eventually be buried. He writesabout those hills in his memoirs withthe specific love of a man whounderstands that the land one comesfrom is inseparable from thecharacter one becomes. In the hillsaround La Boisserie, withina few kilometers of Urville,Champagne Drappier had beenproducing wines since 1808. His aide-de-camp, Colonel de Bonneval, was already a loyal Drappier customer. Through him, the General discovered it.

He chose a cuvée rich in Pinot Noir — 80% Pinot Noir, specifically, the grape that Drappier had planted and championed in the Aube whenthe conventional wisdom of the Champagneestablishment said it did not belongthere, and that the Drappier house'shistory had proved to be the mostspecifically Aube-appropriate and themost specifically characterful of allChampagne's varieties. For his privatereceptions at La Boisserie, he servedit. He liked, as the officialDrappier account specifies, "to savoran aromatic andauthentic Champagne." The cuvée wasreissued in his honor. In 1990, on the50th anniversary of the Appeal of June18th — de Gaulle's wartimebroadcast from London calling France toresistance — the Cuvée Charles deGaulle was formally launched.

Thecuvée pays tribute tothis great man, with a Champagne ofcharacter, whose strength andauthenticity are revealed in theirmost beautiful expression. The juices are partially aged inwood. Bottle aging for 36 months.Dosage 7 g/L. Forward with ripe aromas of cherryliqueur, saline, and fresh flowers.Medium to full-bodied, powerful andassertive on the palate, with wonderfulfruit intensity and a long, purefinish. Remarkable complexity, an airymousse, and slightly candied notes. TheChampagne of the man who saved France,served now at Blackwell's. 

Origins & Craftsmanship

Champagne Drappier was founded in 1808 inUrville, in the Côte des Bar sub-regionof the Aube — the southernmost ofChampagne's sub-regions, whoseKimmeridgian clay-limestone soils andwarmer microclimate produce Pinot Noirof exceptional concentration andaromatic power. The house operates froma 12th-century cellar originally builtby Cistercian monks and has maintained,across eight generations of theDrappier family, an uncompromisingcommitment to Pinot Noir as theappellation's most characterful andmost specifically Aube-appropriatevariety.

Since its creation in 1808,the Champagne Drappier House has ahistory intimately linked to PinotNoir, its grape of choice. It was inthe 1930s that, against thegeneral opinion of the community,this grape variety was replanted onthe estate. History proved the Houseright. 

The Cuvée Charles de Gaulle is themost directly Pinot Noir-expressiveexpression in the Drappier range — 80%Pinot Noir from the Aube'sKimmeridgian limestone vineyards, with20% Chardonnay addedfor elegance and persistent freshness.Only juices from the first press — thecuvées — are used. Low-pressuremechanical presses. Gravity is used toavoid pumping, which preventsoxidation. Minimal use of sulfur.Natural settling. Alcoholicfermentation for around 2 weeks at lowtemperature. Then natural and completemalolactic fermentation. No filtration.After bottling, the cuvée is maturedfor at least 3 years on laths. A portion of the wine is partiallyaged in oak — adding the specific broadmid-palate richness and the subtlewood-adjacent complexity thatdistinguishes the Charles de Gaullefrom Drappier's stainless-steel-onlyexpressions. Dosage 7 g/L — Brutterritory. Disgorged July 2025 in themost recent release. 

Critics Reviews

"A fresh and expressive Champagne, featuring lively green apple, cherry, tea rose and toast notes. Well-balanced, with hints of chalk and spice lingering on the finish." Wine Spectator 91 Points

". . .  bursting from the glass with a generous bouquet of golden orchard fruits, warm biscuits, honeycomb and peach. On the palate, it's full-bodied, rich and enveloping, with a fleshy core of fruit and nicely integrated dosage that lends the wine an old-fashioned, gourmand profile that's appropriate enough given its namesake. I'd expect this to pick up considerable toasty complexity with additional aging on cork." Robert Parker 92 Points

Tasting Profile

Nose
Yellowgold with fine, persistentbubbles — the 80% Pinot Noir and thepartial oak aging producing a colorof warm depth, richer than astandard Blanc de Blancs. The noseopens with the character that theWine Advocate's most recent tastingconfirmed most specifically: ripearomas of cherry liqueur lead with thevivid, slightly concentrated redfruit intensity that PinotNoir-dominant Champagne from the Aube'swarmer microclimate produces mostspecifically. Saline adds a mineralcoastal freshness. Fresh flowers adddelicate floral lift. Citrus fruitsfollow with bright secondary energy— lemon and citrus zestadding the Chardonnay's mostdirect contribution to thenose. Apple adds the mostclassically Champagne-methodsecondary fruit note. Almond andnutmeg add the most warm andthe most specificallyoak-adjacent secondary aromatics —the partial wood aging's mostdelicate contribution. Freshwalnut accents and biscuit addfurther complexity from the36-month lath aging. Dried fruitsadd depth. The nose isgenerous, forward, and aromaticin the way that the bestAube Pinot Noir Champagneproduces most specifically —more vinous, more forward, andmore specificallyfruit-expressive than the morerestrained Montagne de Reimsstyle.

Palate
Medium tofull-bodied, powerful, andassertive — the Wine Advocate'smost accurate palatecharacterization confirmed from thefirst sip. This is not adelicate, restrained Champagne.It is a Champagne ofcharacter, as Drappier specificallyand specificallyintentionally frames it — the 80% AubePinot Noir's warmth andvinosity most fully expressed atits broadest and mostpowerful. Remarkable complexityfrom the first moment. Anairy mousse — fine-bubbled,refined, and elegant despitethe Pinot Noir'sconsiderable palate weight. Ripe pipand stone fruits — whitepeach carrying through fromthe Wood-aged component —complemented by lively acidity andminerality from the Kimmeridgianlimestone terroir. Slightly candiednotes add the mostapproachable and the most broadlyappealing secondary sweetness.The broad mid-palateattributed specifically to thepartial oak aging is mostapparent here — a richness anddensity thatstainless-steel-only vinificationcannot produce at this Pinot Noirconcentration. Wonderful fruitintensity carries the core of thepalate throughout.

Finish
Long, pure, warm, and balanced.The Wine Advocate's "long,pure finish" and "warmth on thefinish that remains balanced"are the most specificallyaccurate and the most completelyconfirmed finish characterizations —the Pinot Noir's considerablepresence at the close is warm,sustained, and entirely harmoniousrather than aggressive. Candied fruitnotes persist. The finesse of thebubbles persists in the length of anelegant, airy close. The Drink2024-2044 window confirmed in afinish of genuine cellaring promise.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

The80% Pinot Noir weight and thepartial oak richness make the Charlesde Gaulle the most food-seriousand the most specifically poultryand game-aligned Champagne inthe Blackwell's section —reflecting exactly the foods de Gaulleserved it alongside at LaBoisserie:

• Pheasant hen stuffed withfoie gras — the official Drappierrecommendation and the mostspecifically de Gaulle-era pairing
• Mesclun salad with grilled guinea fowlskewers
• Roasted chicken and poultrypreparations
• Brie de Meaux — the mostspecifically Champagne-region cheesepairing
• Crayfish and lobster — thesaline quality aligning withshellfish
• Charcuterie at aperitif
• Barbecued whole fish