Fragrance:
Scent of ripe citrus, bright stone fruits, white flowers and minerals, as well as a delicate hint of brioche
Taste:
Small, elegant bubbles. Taste and aroma are characterized by ripe citrus, bright stone fruits such as white peach, white flowers and minerals, as well as a delicate touch of brioche. Very well balanced with fresh acidity and a long, complex aftertaste.
Fits:
Excellent as both an aperitif and with elegant dishes on fish and shellfish, such as oysters au gratin.
About the producer:
The foremost innovator in Champagne.
Champagne Laurent-Perrier was founded as early as 1812, and is today the world’s fifth largest champagne house.
The chardonnay grape variety is the focus of Laurent-Perrier, and the proportion of chardonnay in their champagnes is significantly higher than that of most other champagne houses. This noble grape variety contributes freshness, elegance and crystal clear purity. La Cuvée represents Laurent-Perrier’s house style, and is characterized by an unusually high proportion of chardonnay – at least 50 percent – which contributes to a fresh and elegant champagne.
Laurent-Perrier was founded as early as 1812, and has today grown into the world’s fifth largest champagne house. Even today, Champagne Laurent-Perrier is family-owned, and run by Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt and Stéphanie Meneux de Nonancourt.
Development took off when Marie-Louise Lanson de Nonancourt bought Laurent-Perrier in 1939. At that time, 80,000 bottles were produced per year. After the war, in 1948, the son Bernard de Nonancourt took over the operation, and it is thanks to him that Laurent-Perrier is today one of the largest and most respected champagne houses in the entire world. Today, roughly 7.5 million bottles are produced, and 45 million bottles are in storage in the cellar. Laurent-Perrier’s style is characterized by skillful assemblage, i.e. the art of mixing different crus, vintages and grape varieties into a whole that surpasses the individual elements. The chardonnay grape variety plays the main role in all white cuvées and the proportion of chardonnay in their champagnes is significantly higher than that of most other champagne houses; this noble grape variety contributes freshness, elegance and crystal clear purity. For Laurent-Perrier’s pioneering rosés, however, it is pinot noir that plays the main role.
Bernard de Nonancourt – also known as “Le Grand Bernard” had a burning interest in the production of champagne. Thanks to Bernard, Laurent-Perrier was one of the first champagne houses to store its wines in steel tanks instead of cement during the 1970s. The use of steel tanks led to greater finesse in the wines and is today standard in Champagne. Bernard got the inspiration to leave the cement tanks behind from winemaker Alain Terrier in Bordeaux. Terrier then came to work as responsible cellar master at Laurent Perrier for 30 years. In 1983, Michel Fauconnet became assistant cellar master, and took over as cellar master in 2004.
Bernard de Nonancourt’s passion and curiosity gave Laurent-Perrier its unique stamp as the foremost innovator in Champagne. Several of the cuvées created during Bernard’s time have been pioneers and created completely new product categories in Champagne. In 1959, Grand Siècle was introduced, the first prestige cuvée based on several different vintages. In 1968, new ground was broken with the creation of Cuvée Rosé, which was created by letting pinot noir macerate to give color and character, as opposed to blending red and white wine. In 1981, he created Ultra Brut, the very first cuvée completely without added sugar (dosage).
Laurent-Perrier’s wines are produced from vineyards that are all sustainability certified according to Viticulture Durable en Champagne.
