Laurent Perrier "2010 Christmas Range" Tasting
Quintessentially Soho, London, UK
Tasted Friday, September 10, 2010 by TheArtisan with 665 views
Introduction
A tasting of the Christmas 2010 range of Laurent Perrier hosted by Emma Russell, LP sales representative for London and the south-east.
NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne Brut L.P.
France, Champagne
The flagship of the Laurent Perrier brand, this is the only wine made by LP that is made using Pinot Meunier, and has one of the highest "Echelle de Cru" (a rating given to each "Grand Cru" village depending on the quality of the grapes) of any NV Champagne at 94 points. Aged for three years with 11g/L of sugar, the nose is one of the cleanest and most pure NV Champagnes, with very light bready aromas and hints of green fruits such as pears and apples. The palate has a zingy, tangy blue-cheese acidity with citrus flavours dominating due to the large percentage of Chardonnay in the blend. A surprisingly long finish! ****
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NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne Ultra Brut
France, Champagne
The LP Ultra Brut is the closest thing to pure Champagne that you can get, because there is absolutely no dosage! With a blend of 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir, the bouquet is more striking as it is even purer when compared directly against the LP non-vintage, the nose is so pure it is more reminiscent of a perfume rather than a Champagne. Using grapes from villages with an "Echelle de Cru" rating of 98, the palate is very earthy and chalky and would be the perfect compliment to seafood, especially oysters. However, this is not a quaffing Champagne (and not to everybody's taste I can imagine), and it would not be too long before this becomes hard work. ****
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2000 Laurent-Perrier Champagne Brut Millésimé
France, Champagne
With a blend of 51% Chardonnay, there is a far greater weight to this wine in comparison with the NV and the Ultra Brut. With 7 years maturation in the cellars and with grapes selected from villages holding an "Echelle de Cru" rating of 98, the nose is very warm and more toasted. Very well structured with apricot and marmalade flavours on the palate. The 2000 Vintage was difficult because many of the grapes were damaged by August hail, vastly reducing the yield. The large amount of Chardonnay in the blend results in a vintage that is much lighter in comparison to its contemporaries, which fits into the LP style. ****1/2
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NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne Cuvée Rosé Brut
France, Champagne
Possibly the most famous Champagne from Laurent Perrier, this is one of the last rose wines that macerates the grapes rather than blending both red and white grapes. The blend is 100% Pinot Noir, and aged for 4 years with a much more natural salmon pink colour in comparison to other Champagnes. Unfortunately, this tasted rather light after the LP 2000 vintage, but the aroma of fresh strawberries on the nose is uncanny! Other red fruits such as redcurrants and cherries dominate the palate. It is rounded yet supple on the finish, one of the fruitiest Champagnes I've tasted! ****
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NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siècle
France, Champagne
"Grand Siecle" means "Great Century" in French and refers to the 16th Century (the French age of enlightenment) and the reign of Louis XIV. The bottle was named by Charles de Gaulle as a favour from Bernard de Nonancourt, who is still running the Laurent Perrier house today, now well into his nineties. This LP also has a dominant Chardonnay blend but is far more austere than the previous NV's. The bubbles were truly fine, with hazelnuts, honey, almonds and pastry on the nose. The palate is savoury, but is far richer than even the 2000 vintage. This is one of the few Champagnes that I have tasted which balances weight and complexity with finesse and it's exquisite. *****
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