February 22, 2024 - 100% PM
Cumin, caraway, ripe golden apple, ripe quince, lemon juice on the nose, but smells a tad muted and tight on PnP. Call it a medium - intensity of aromas. After an hour in the glass, it really opens up though and the intensity increases to medium. The palate too feels tight at first; but after about 45 minutes in the glass it shows toasted pecans, graham cracker/crust and pastry cream in addition to a burst of ripe golden apples (think that's a PM tell). Intensity of flavors is medium + after an hour in the glass.
Medium body with medium + acid. I never really understood the need to decant Champagne until I had this wine. Absolutely decant this for at least an hour if you open it now. I do think it is still developing and in 3-5 years will be more apporachable on PnP than it is right now.
August 20, 2023 - First 100% PM for me. Disgorged 2019. Slightly pink. Nice core of fruit with plus acidity. Better after an hour or so. Would buy again.
August 20, 2023 - Family Holidays; 7/28/2023-9/10/2023 (Alicante - España): By the glass. " The vines of yesteryear" seem to offer everything that the Meunier grape needs after an aging of three years on its own lees in used barrels. Biodynamic crop.
Unexpected aromas of caramelised almonds along with lemon curd spread over toasted brioche accompanying apples and peaches. A delicacy.
On the palate it has a vinous texture, really of a full-bodied wine, intense and rich but balanced even of a moderate alcoholic volume for such density (12.5%). Plenty of length and a delicious mineral aftertaste. One of the most amazing meunier ever tasted. Give it a try. Deserves it.
Por copas. "Las viñas de antaño" parecen ofrecer todo lo que la uva meunier necesita tras un envejecimiento de tres años sobre sus propias lías en barriles usados. Cultivo biodinámico.
Inesperados aromas a almendras garrapiñadas junto con cuajada de limón extendida sobre brioche tostado acompañando a manzanas y melocotones. Una delicadeza.
Al paladar presenta una textura vinosa, realmente de un vino de gran cuerpo, intenso y abundante pero equilibrado incluso de un volumen alcohólico moderado para semejante densidad (12.5%). Longitud a raudales y un delicioso retrogusto mineral. Uno de los más sorprendentes meunier que jamás haya catado. Dale un tiento. Lo merece.
March 4, 2023 - Disgorged in February 2019.
November 12, 2022 - (Disgorged in January 2017, 100% Meunier from old vines planted 1947-1964, dosage 4 gr/L, 5 064 bottles made)
Very evolved on the nose showing pineapple citrus, red apples together with notes of cognac, sherry and red apples in a special but at the same time pleasant way. Intense palate showing ginger and red apples acidity and with a hint of cinnamon and saffron on the lengthy finish.
(Best 2025-2040)
March 12, 2022 - Opened for a weekend lunchtime Zoom session with Aurélien Laherte, and served with a big bowl of popcorn (my favorite food to check out a new to me Champagne). This showed its 100% Meunier from the very first sniff, which was deeply fruity, and with pretty floral overtones. Young and a little grapey at first, it firmed up as it warmed up. The floral aspects were more prominent after about an hour, and the wine showed a foundation of acidity underneath the fruit. This did not feel like a “fun” wine, but it carried its seriousness with a smile. We both liked it very much, and are looking forward to more wines from Laherte Frères.
January 2, 2022 - Medium Plus gold color looking like it has more age on it than it really does which is typical for this variety. This smells like a PM. Don't know what that translates to but you know it when you smell it. The flavor is a Sweet Apple fruit but it has a lot of acid which counteracts each other. The finish is a sour tart lemon note which again is diametrically opposed to the apple on the attack. It's a very entertaining and geeky wine which will not appeal to everybody, this isn't your classic champagne style.
January 1, 2022 - Disgorged February 2019, 2-4 grams of dosage, 100% Pinot Meunier. Apple pie filling, crushed raspberry, peaches, lime flesh and a citrusy finish. After about 90 mins, I can really sense the red berry core, plus some flint too....and then retasting today from the stoppered bottle from last night, a lot of the CO2 is gone, leaving the wine pretty close to still. And in that, I can finally sense the texture and depth here. I believe too I like the wine this way more than I did last night. There is a citrusy, ginger/mint note that really comes through, wrapping around a red fruited pastry. Really delicious today.
October 15, 2021 - First bottle of this and man was it good. Served blind, alongside the 2015 LF Longues Voyes (which is 100% Pinot Noir). Disgorged February 2019, 2-4 grams of dosage, 100% Pinot Meunier. Old vine too, with vine age going back to the last 1940s to early 1950s. This was really good last night, reminding a lot of the Marie Courtin Efflorescence in how that wine conveys the red berry quality so well. There is a red berry pastry here, with really beautiful balance, plenty of energy and some rocky soil tones, too. Bravo.
October 7, 2021 - 100% Meunier. Disgorged January 2019. Pours almost pink. There’s ripe pear there, surrounded by balanced acid, with a really nice texture feel. After 30 minutes it opens up a lot. The fruit amplifies, and everything else settles in. Another in the line of exciting Meunier champagnes these days.