GRAND SIECLE PAR LAURENT-PERRIER NO 24, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE

Overview of the Wine
Established in 1812, Champagne Laurent-Perrier has a long tradition of innovation in Champagne and can be credited with many of the ideas that have defined Champagne production since the mid 20th century. Laurent-Perrier was among the first to introduce stainless steel fermentation tanks to the region in the 1950s, resurrected the non-dosage Champagne category with the introduction of Ultra Brut in 1981, and sparked the revival of non-vintage rosé Champagne in 1968 despite the opinion of other producers that non-vintage rosés were not to be taken seriously. Today, Laurent Perrier’s iconic Cuvée Rosé remains the benchmark for non-vintage rosé champagne.

Laurent-Perrier has become one of the international leaders in Champagne based entirely on the quality of the wines and core values as a company. Laurent-Perrier is still a family-controlled business and makes nothing other than champagne. The house prides itself on quality and consistency, attributable to having only 3 chefs de caves since 1949.

Laurent-Perrier’s house style emphasizes freshness, elegance, and finesse across its entire range of champagnes. None of the wines are aged in oak, and Laurent-Perrier makes fewer single-vintage wines than many other houses. The art of blending – not just of grapes but of years, as well – is fundamental to champagne. At Laurent-Perrier, even our prestige cuvée Grand Siècle is never a single vintage wine, but always a blend of three complementary vintage years, essentially “creating” the perfect year.

In the 17th Century, during the reign of Louis XIV, France enjoyed its most illustrious era. Louis XIV became known as the “Sun King” for his benevolence and his patronage of the Arts, which became the foundation of France’s rich artistic heritage. At the Palace of Versailles Louis XIV was the first French King to drink Champagne.

Louis XIV’s era became known as the Grand Siècle – the “Great Century”. Bottled in a replica of a 17th Century bottle evoking the radiance of that period, Laurent-Perrier’s prestige cuvées embody luxury, magnificence and elegance fit for a king.

When it came to his prestige cuvée, Bernard de Nonancourt decided to highlight two of Champagne’s traditional realms of proficiency: the blending of different crus and different vintages. Grand Siècle is the epitome of Champagne cuvées, as it blends complementary wines from Laurent-Perrier’s very best growths and most successful vintage years.

Grape / Blend
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Blend

Origin
Champagne, France

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes
Grand Siècle is made with a pinot noir and chardonnay blend, with the latter being slightly dominant. Twelve of the most prestigious villages supply these grapes; all of them classified at 100% Grands Crus such as Ambonnay, Verzenay, Mailly, Avize, Cramant, Chouilly and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Within the vineyards of these villages, only the very best plots are selected, as are the finest musts from the pressings. The blended wine is then aged during the second fermentation on the yeast for approximately five years.

It has a bright color, with a brilliant yellow hue. Its subtle aromas of honey, hazelnuts, grilled almonds and brioche, make this the perfect companion for refined dishes. It pairs just as well with poultry and truffles as it does with veal and morel mushrooms.

#55 Wine Enthusiast Top 100 of 2018

97 Points – Wine Enthusiast
Laurent-Perrier has always preferred to keep its prestige cuvée as a nonvintage blend. With eight years aging after bottling and plenty of reserve wines in the blend, it is a mature wine that is yeasty and toasty in character. To go with that, there is great fruit from the blend that only comes from grand cru vineyards. It’s ready to drink.

95 Points – Tasting Panel
Lush and rounded with elegant fruit, creamy texture and depth; rich, balanced and ripe with considerable finesse and medium weight style; long, complex and quite brilliant.

94 Points – Wine Spectator
An animated Champagne. The vibrant, crystalline frame of acidity and the finely detailed mousse support rich hints of toasted brioche and briny mineral, layered with flavors of Jonagold apple, candied lemon zest, spun honey and ripe blackberry. Sleek and racy on the lasting, spiced finish.

93 Points – Decanter
A youthful but beautiful Grand Siecle that will be even better with further age. With extra time in the glass we found clean notes of bedsheets dried in the summer wind together with light green apple notes and toast. Refreshing attack and soft lingering beautiful mousse.

93 Points – Wine & Spirits
This represents the firm’s top selection of Chardonnay (55 percent of the blend, from Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger) and Pinot Noir (from Ambonnay, Bouzy, Louvois, Mailly, Tours-sur-Marne and Verzenay). It’s a luxurious and stylized Champagne, wearing its tete-de-cuvee status in the perfumed scent and the satin-rich texture. The Pinot Noir speaks powerfully, with austere red fruit and brisk, miner-inflected length of flavor.

 

Product Size: 750ml