From: Champagne, France
Varietal: Chardonnay
Taste & Critical Acclaim: Chiseled and mineral, this gorgeous champagne starts out linear and ramps up power to become more toasty, rich, and powerful (give it about 20 minutes after opening). Zesty citrus, Asian pear, and toasted apple with a steely middle open to more toasty brioche notes and a rich, creamy, leesy center. A saline minerality is at the core of this wine and continues to the finish, both upon opening and with air. Lovely, focused, balanced, and precise.
WA 91 pt "Based on the 2018 vintage and disgorged this year, the NV Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs derives from vines growing in the chalky Côteaux Sud d’Épernay. Unwinding in the glass with notions of crisp green apple, nougat, fresh bread and Meyer lemon, it's medium to full-bodied, chiseled and chalky, with tangy acids and a long, saline finish even in this demonstrative vintage.”
Pairing: This beautiful BdB Brut Nature is one of our favorites to share because it appeals to a fair number of palates and cuisines. For example, do you love super dry, complex champagnes that are approachable, under $100, and friendly enough for your friends or family who don’t indulge in these treats as regularly as you do? Do you crave champagne that can be given as a gift without worrying about its appreciation or enjoyment? Do you love high/low pairings? For example, does your palate love scallop crudo and fried chicken with equal glee? If all the answers to the above questions are yes, this will be an easy winner. For actual pairings, go with any of the high/low examples. Sole Meunière, salt and pepper shrimp rolls, fish sticks/fish and chips/fried chicken/fried veggies/vegetable tempura, Fish or Chicken Milanese, crab croquetas, or Flounder With Brown Butter, Lemon and Tarragon (see below for recipe) will all work wonders.
Flounder With Brown Butter, Lemon and Tarragon
By David Tanis
About. From the importer, Beaune Imports. Aurélien Laherte is part of a dynamic generation of young vignerons making waves in Champagne and producing a fine array of terroir-driven wines using a natural approach to viticulture and winemaking. Along with his high school friend Raphael Bereche – another star in the region – Aurélien founded the “Terres et Vins” collective of producers back in 2009. This group taps some of Champagne’s more progressive and like-minded producers, including Agrapart, Marie-Courtin, Vincent Laval, Benoit Lahaye, among others. Each spring, the group holds a tasting in Champagne to showcase both the vins clairs of the previous harvest as well as their actual bubbly versions.
The Laherte family has a long history in the region. Founded in 1889 by Jean-Baptiste Laherte, the estate was originally made up of vines primarily in the village of Chavot. Fourth generation vigneron Michel Laherte expanded the family estate which then covered about five hectares. With his wife Cécile, the two young vignerons modernized the press and tanks, but soon realized that too much modernity such as the use of herbicides and pesticides would prevent full terroir expression in the wines. They began working the soils, gently vinifying the juices, and remaining humble and patient as the wines developed. This philosophy is the foundation of the estate and has endured through the generations.
Today, under the direction of Aurélien Laherte who took over in 2005, the estate has become one of the most progressive and dynamic "rising stars" in the appellation. Like many of Champagne's top practicioners, the estate has begun to produce a series of tiny production, single-vineyard/single vintage cuvees (around 3000 bottles ea) from some of their most unique and expressive Biodynamically-farmed parcels. These wines are all vinified in used Burgundy barrels, without malolactic fermentations, and are bottled without fining and filtration. They are then finished with little or no dosage so as to not mask the individuality of the underlying terroirs.
The Laherte vineyards are situated largely in the Coteaux Sud D'Epernay, an interesting sub-region sandwiched between the Cotes des Blancs and the Vallee de la Marne, with pockets of soils that greatly resemble these two fine and geologically diverse regions. The vineyards themselves total 10.5 hectares (over 75 separate parcels), seven of which are farmed biodynamically and certified organic, with the rest farmed either 'uncertified organic' or at least sustainably.
Great lengths are taken to ensure each vine fully expresses itself and the underlying terroir. A team of ten, including aunts, uncles, and cousins, works throughout the year (in accordance with the lunar calendar) to employ techniques such as plant infusions to improve the vine’s natural defense system, and high foliage to encourage photosynthesis and thus, balanced maturity. Aurélien and his team are now beginning to experiment with more consistent cover crops of both indigenous and sown plants, and they are reducing the amount of plowing to minimize soil disturbance in hopes of building and keeping soils rich in microorganisms. Given the diversity of soils and expositions, the three major grape varieties of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay all thrive and are planted on the southern slopes of Epernay in the villages of Chavot, Epernay, Vaudencourt, Moussy and Morangis. The family also has some 1er Cru Chardonnay vineyards on the famed Côte de Blancs in the villages of Vertus and Voipreux. And finally, more Meunier plantings are found in the villages of Le Breuil and Bourgault in the Vallée de la Marne, often referred to as Meunier country.
This wine. 100% Chardonnay (35 year old vines, average)
• Organic – Certified
• Biodynamic – Practicing
• Secondary fermentation in bottle – Méthode Traditionnelle
• Aged on lees for a minimum of 24 months
• Dosage – Zero
From the family's chalkiest soils in Chavot and Epernay comes this racy Blancs de Blancs with fantastic finesse, the only one in the Laherte lineup. This is a thirst quencher AND a wine for the Champagne congnescenti!
This Blanc de Blancs is made with their best parcels of Chardonnay (located on the south slopes of Epernay and the Côte des Blancs). This wine is very representative of the purity and the minerality of the Chardonnay varietal.
The grapes are hand-picked when fully ripened then pressed in a traditional style press. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in small foudres and barrels with a few bâtonnages. Assembled using 50% of reserve wines from previous vintages aged in barrels on lees. Malolactic fermentation is partially made. Disgorgement is done by hand. No dosage.
