Champagne Christmas Pack

This mineral-charged Champagne is 100% Chardonnay from the family's chalkiest soils in Chavot and Épernay. These vineyards are biodynamically farmed, and the soil is rich in chalk and chalky clay (marl), with pockets of flint and schist. The chalkiness drives the wine’s striking, racy and intensely saline minerality—that energy, freshness and zingy, citric line—while the clay balances fruit weight and texture. The recent addition of Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs premier crus of Vertus and Voipreux has only lifted the remarkable quality. Built on perfectly ripe fruit, this bottling is based on the great 2020 vintage, with 40% reserve wines from the two previous years. As the name suggests, it’s bottled without dosage. Aged for just over two years in bottle following primary fermentation in barrique, foudre and tronconique cask, like all Laherte’s Champagnes, this cuvée is disgorged by hand. More than ever, it’s stunning value for those who love purity and minerality in their Blanc de Blancs. Now released with an additional seven months in bottle, the new disgorgement is a wonderfully sculpted Champagne, sizzling with tension and penetrating focus. Please note that the review refers to the previous bottling.

Laherte's entry Champagne continues its skywards trajectory. Biodynamic and organic fruit, the quality being delivered for this price is outstanding. Bright, appley and fragrant, this feels fresh and easy to drink, buttressed by taut, lively acidity. As usual, it's made from a majority of meunier (60%), blended with 30% chardonnay and 10% pinot noir from a total of seven different parcels across the Côteaux Sud d'Épernay and Vallée de la Marne, namely Chavot, Mancy, Morangis. Breuil, Boursault, Moussy and Vaudancourt. There are now two reserve vintages blended in, giving more complexity and oomph, and the reserve wines now make up 50% of the blend, with 60% of that barrel aged material.

Pinot Noir and Meunier. Disgorged in May 2023. This gorgeous new(ish) Blanc de Noirs sits in the range alongside Laherte’s dazzling Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature. It’s a blend of 50% Pinot Noir from Le Breuil in the Marne Valley and 50% Pinot Meunier from the Coteaux Sud d’Épernay (Chavot and Moussy). The current release is a half-and-half blend of 2021 and 2020. In the cellar, Laherte naturally ferments the vins clairs in aged barrel and foudre. The wine completes malolactic conversion and is bottled without dosage to “respect fruit intensity and mineral freshness”. This is a stunning release that combines the supple fruit of Pinot Meunier, the vinosity of Pinot Noir and the salinity of the chalky soils. It’s a beautifully vibrant and deep colour. The nose is flush with fresh summer fruit, red flowers and chalky minerals, which are mirrored on the harmonious and balanced palate. Nervy tension, tensile energy and live-wire freshness close out a very pure, mouth-watering wine.