{"title":"laurent-perrier champagne","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"laurent-perrier-brut-millesime-2012-gift-box","title":"Laurent-Perrier Brut Millésimé 2012 (Gift Box)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFounded in 1812, Laurent-Perrier is one of the finest and largest Champagne Houses, producing around 7 million bottles annually. \u003c\/span\u003eThe 2012 Laurent-Perrier’s Brut Millésimé, a blend of \u003cspan\u003e50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir\u003c\/span\u003e, \u003cspan\u003eis the 30th opus of this cuvée. The Chardonnay is sourced from four Grand Cru villages on the Côte des Blancs, the Pinot Noir from five Grand Cru villages (and for the first time in the history of this cuvée one premier village) on the Côte des Blancs. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Light-mid yellow, pastry\/bakery and gently toasted aromas, which accord with the rich savoury flavours, nicely balanced to a dry finish, with line and length and harmony. Totally satisfying Champagne.\"  Huon Hooke\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"White gold in colour with a fine sparkle. A flowery nose of great complexity, with notes of citrus and white peaches. A wine that is very present with a lively attack and great finesse with good minerality and notes of grapefruit on the finish.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eLaurent-Perrier\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eLight-mid yellow, pastry\/bakery and gently toasted aromas, which accord with the rich savoury flavours, nicely balanced to a dry finish, with line and length and harmony. Totally satisfying Champagne. Drink: 2023-2028.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eHuon Hooke, The Real Review - 96 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\"Laurent‑Perrier is selective when declaring vintages from only the very best years to create a rare and exceptional wine, characteristic of the House’s style. The 2012 wine year was complicated with winter and spring frosts, hail and cryptogamic diseases, which had an impact on the yield, which was rather moderate. The dry, sunny summer allowed the grapes to ripen to perfection allowing for an exceptional harvest.\"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eBettane et Desseauve - 96 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eElegant array of lemons, slate, biscuits, oyster shells, croissants and brioche. Precise and focused on the palate, with sharp acidity and tight, fine bubbles. Pure and youthful for now. 50% chardonnay and 50% pinot noir. Dosage 8g\/L. Drink or hold.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eJames Suckling, JamesSuckling.com – 94 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The dry and sunny summer brought about a beautiful maturity. With an energetic yet bright bouquet, the Laurent-Perrier 2012 possesses gorgeous aromas of orchard fruits, herbs, lemon and spices, with a hint of menthol. Calcareous on the palate, the structure is medium- to full-bodied, with a laser-like texture and a long and penetrating finish. It is undeniably one of the frank successes of the vintage, and while it has no need for further ageing, it may surprise us even further in the future.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eYohan Castaing, Decanter – 93 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCrus\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-PerrierVineyard_1024x1024.png?v=1707031124\" alt=\"Laurent-Perrier Vineyards\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eThe 2012 Laurent-Perrier’s Brut Millésimé is a blend of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Chardonnay is sourced from four Grand Cru villages on the Côte des Blancs: Chouilly, Cramant, Oger and Le-Mesnil-sur-Oger. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Pinot Noir is sourced from five Grand Cru villages on the \u003c\/span\u003eMontagne de Reims: Verzy, Verzenay, Mailly, Louvois and Bouzy, \u003cspan\u003eand for the first time in the history of this cuvée, the premier cru village of Rilly-la-Montagne.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChef de cave\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Michel Fauconnet, Chef de Cave Laurent-Perrier\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-PerrierMichelFauconnetChefdeCave_1024x1024.png?v=1707024697\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichel Fauconnet, Chef de Cave Laurent-Perrier from 2004-2023\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following text is taken from an article that appeared in Bon Couer Fine Wines\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichel Fauconnet first joined Laurent-Perrier in August 1973 doing work experience in the cellars after getting a certificate in agricultural engineering at the Agricultural College of Rethel, in the Ardennes region. He has acquired his experience on the ground.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFauconnet climbed the ladder at Laurent-Perrier, working as a manual worker from 1974 to 1976 before being promoted to technical staff in 1980. Four years later, in February 2004, he was appointed Chef de Cave and became responsible for Laurent-Perrier’s winery and the fermentation process of all of Laurent-Perrier’s wines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichel Fauconnet took over from Alain Terrier, who retired after 30 years and to whom he was Executive Deputy. For more than 20 years and alongside Alain Terrier - a man who was good at training and loved to pass on his knowledge - they created pleasurable wines based on solid know-how and building strong relationships with grape-growers. At his side, Mr Fauconnet also assimilated his oenology knowledge and worked hand-in-hand with a closeknit team he has now made his own.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichel Fauconnet has spent his entire working life at Laurent-Perrier and is dedicated to the company with whom he shares a passion for champagne and family values built on perfection and great expectation. Fond of sport and a football lover, he played at top level at the Stade de Reims. He is a thorough man with a strong personality who has won the respect of grape growers and the Champagne community.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou have been at the House of Laurent-Perrier for over 40 years, how did you begin your career?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI joined Laurent-Perrier on August 28, 1973. I had sent a letter to the late Bernard de Nonancourt, asking for work-experience. I never left the House.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescribe the spirit of Laurent-Perrier and how it stands out from other Grand Marques?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginally founded in 1812, the House of Laurent-Perrier is now recognised as one of the largest independent and family-owned champagne brands. It is the style and quality of our wines which enable Laurent-Perrier to stand out. We have supply of excellent Chardonnay grapes, backbone of Laurent-Perrier’s style.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescribe Laurent-Perrier vineyards and your unique relationships with the growers\/suppliers you work with.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLaurent-Perrier owns 10% of its needs. Our vineyards are mainly located in the areas of the Côte des Blancs for Chardonnay, and the Montagne de Reims for Pinot Noir. We nurture our lasting relationships with wine growers. Some of our partners are from the third generation! It means the quality of our supply is consistent. We share the same respect for nature and traditional values.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe recently visited Laurent-Perrier and had the pleasure of going into the cellars. It was very impressive. Can you describe the cellars and the work that’s carried out there?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are more than 9km (6 miles) of cellars, built in chalk (Champagne’s typical terroir stone) at the historical estate of Laurent-Perrier in Tours-sur-Marne. We have built an extension in 2008-2009 with new state-of-theart stainless steel tanks. And to mark our 200th anniversary, we unveiled a new winery, dedicated to our prestige cuvee Grand Siècle, last year. We have invested much effort into our vinification equipment and installations which are state of the art technology, whilst retaining our tradition and values.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan you describe the Laurent-Perrier blending process, who is involved and when, where does it take place? \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChampagne is made by assemblage: the blending of different varietals under appellation (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, depending on the cuvées), coming from different crus (villages of growth). We systematically separate varietals and crus at time of harvest (no Chardonnay from Avize with Chardonnay from Oger, etc). It means that I have several hundreds of different 'clear wines' to taste. For each of our cuvées and according to each style, I must identify the wines before the final blend. It means projecting yourself four years ahead when the wine will be ready after ageing. It is the savoir-faire of the House. I am the final decision-maker but am working with a small team.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrand Siècle is a blend of many different vintages and a very special cuvée – could you tell us more about this wine and the stages of its development?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn 1959, Bernard de Nonancourt launched Grand Siècle, his prestige cuvée, the quintessence of the art of blending. He concentrated on two essential components of traditional champagne savoir-faire. The careful blending of the greatest crus and of wines from three particularly outstanding harvests declared as vintage years by Laurent-Perrier. In a word: 'The best of the best with the best'!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou were made Cellar Master in 2004 – over the lifetime of your career what have been your greatest moments in the job to date and who has influenced you most in your career? \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWorking alongside Bernard de Nonancourt, and having his trust has been the highlight of my career. But I spent 30 years as deputy to the previous cellar master, Alain Terrier, who taught me everything. The period between 1975-1985 was a happy time. There were a lot of changes in practises and evolution in our job, particularly in the technique of maceration of Pinot Noir and extracting all its aromas for our Cuvée Rosé Laurent-Perrier. It was all very exciting.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are your top three Champagne vintages of the last 50 years and why?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1995: Perfect balance between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, typical of Laurent-Perrier style for our blends. 1990: Atypical year, superb for its Chardonnay. 1976: Another atypical year with both quality and maturity, despite a small yield.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Maximilien Bernardeau, Chef de Cave Laurent-Perrier\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-PerrierMaximilienBernardeauChefdeCave_1024x1024.png?v=1707026047\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaximilien Bernardeau, Chef de Cave Laurent-Perrier from 2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaximilien Bernardeau was appointed Cellar Master (Chef de Cave) and Head of Wines for the Laurent-Perrier Group in July 2023. Bernardeau will continue to report to the retiring Chef de Cave, Michel Fauconnet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Laurent-Perrier group brings together the houses of Laurent-Perrier in Tours-sur-Marne, Salon and Delamotte in Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Champagne de Castellane in Épernay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBernardeau holds a degree in cell biology and plant physiology. He obtained his DNO (National Diploma of Oenologist) in 2008 at the University of Dijon. He worked briefly in Burgundy before joining Sofralab as a consultant oenologist in Champagneore working for the company Sofralab as a consultant oenologist in Aube and then Marne, where he acquired in-depth experience in the cultivation of vines and Champagne winemaking. He joined Maison Laurent-Perrier in January 2023.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLucie Pereyre\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-PerrierLuciePereyredeNonancourt_1024x1024.png?v=1707030119\" alt=\"Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt, Laurent-Perrier\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eLucie Pereyre de Nonancourt, Alexandra's eldest daughter, joined Laurent-Perrier in September 2019. Lucie represents Grand Siècle around the world and trains with the Chef de Cave, the production teams and the sales teams, as part of Laurent-Perrier's innovative approach.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"During COVID (just after she joined \u003cspan\u003eLaurent-Perrier) \u003c\/span\u003eI took advantage of the time to both learn about the history of our House and to work in the vineyards with our team - to really understand the origin of our story, our values, and our role towards nature. I also spent time with our Cellar Master to really get a good understanding of our special approach to winemaking, especially for Grand Siècle as it requires more precision and specific know-how.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first year was mostly about learning. It is still the case today as I am learning new things every day, but now I have the even greater challenge of explaining the secrets behind the creation of Grand Siècle to our different markets. My goal is to make people see how unique Grand Siècle is among the other prestige cuvées.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy role has also evolved and I increasingly participate in the vins clairs tastings throughout the year, especially when doing the assemblage of Grand Siècle, which I find a truly extraordinary experience.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following text is taken from an interview with Lucie Pereyre \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ethat appeared in The Champagne Club\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescribe yourself in a few sentences!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy name is Lucie Pereyre, I am the 4th generation family member at Champagne Laurent-Perrier and my role is to represent Grand Siècle, our prestige cuvée, worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat I love about my work is that I am able to work with different department within the company, like the vineyard, the winery, the marketing and the commercial department. It is very polyvalent and this is what I enjoyed the most.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow did you get into the champagne profession?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven if I was born within a Champagne family, it was not obvious for me to join and I always had the freedom to choose my own path.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI discovered my passion for wine late in my studies. This is when I decided to fully study wine by getting my WSET diploma and to work in a Spanish winery. Inspired and strengthened by these experiences, I joined the family business in 2019 to train with our Cellar Master Michel Fauconnet, the Production and Salesforce teams, to be part of the innovative know-how of Laurent-Perrier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSince Your Champagne company started, how many chef de caves have Your company had?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust to remind you Laurent-Perrier has belonged to my family since 1939. Since then, we only had 3 cellar masters. What is incredible is that our current cellar master arrived at 21 years old in 1973 and worked closely with the 2 previous ones, which is completely unique nowadays. It has allowed us to preserve our know-how and consistency in style, while always looking for more innovation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow would You describe Your 'house\/producer style' and how do You achieve it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince the beginning, it has been very clear to my grandfather that he would do things differently. He was a visionary man and creativity was his state of mind. That is why he decided to favor the Chardonnay when this grape was not the most used in Champagne. He was the first one to bring stainless tanks in 1973 within an oak-barrel region, because he wanted to adopt a reductive winemaking style and he was among the first to elaborate a zero dosage champagne to reveal the purity of the terroir. Since then we have raised the quality of our supply, we are continuously improving our production techniques and increased our ageing time on lees to obtain the style we have today: a style defined by its freshness, its elegance and its purity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat role do grape varieties play in creating your style?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll of our wines, except our two rosés, have a majority of Chardonnay completed by Pinot Noir. The Chardonnay grape gives us the freshness, the citrus aromas and the long ageing potential we are looking for and the Pinot Noir brings us an elegant structure and a lot of complex aromas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003eWhat do You think of the current trend of 'terroir champagnes' made of single parcels?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eIt is important to reveal the purity of the terroir and its distinctive characteristics. However, at Laurent-Perrier we think that it is possible to get a better result by blending those parcels for their complementarity to reach a more complex wine. We know our parcels and what they can give, and depending on the vintage and their expression we will define the right proportion for each of them into the final blend to obtain the perfect balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe best example of this work is Grand Siècle, our emblematic cuvée. Because what we do to obtain it, is to make a rigorous selection among the parcels within 11 Grands Crus. Every parcel has its own identity that we want to capture and preserve before using it into the final blend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2020 was a very special year. What’s Your idea of the near future for Champagne in general? \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2020, the COVID and the lockdown were really not expected and it was not easy. But, despite this situation, the winegrowers maintained their work in the vineyard as the Nature was not waiting for us. Moreover, the following year was not an easy one either. Everyone had to be very flexible and realized how much the climate change was affecting seriously our work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think it all confirmed this general move to go towards more sustainability.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe already have a big purpose as a whole region to reduce our carbon impact by 2050, and reach by 2030, 100% of the producers to obtain the VDC certification (Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne). And then, individually, we are trying to do efforts wherever we can to protect our Nature and Terroir.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhich Champagne would you treat a dream guest, and why?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI would like to treat my grandfather by sharing with him the first Iteration of Grand Siècle, made out of blend of 1952, 1953 and 1955. It would be the perfect opportunity to tell him how proud I am to represent his very first innovation that still remain unique today: a blend of 3 exceptional vintages to recreate the perfect oenological year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the winery\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-Perrier_1024x1024.png?v=1707032330\" alt=\"Domaine Laurent-Perrier\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFounded in 1812 and sold in over 160 countries worldwide, Laurent-Perrier is one of Champagne’s leading Houses. The brand’s modern-day success is owed, in large part, to the enduring work of Bernard de Nonancourt, who joined the company in 1948. But the House’s story started well over a century prior, long before it was called Laurent-Perrier. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Champagne house was founded in 1812 by a former cask maker named André Michel Pierlot., who\u003cspan\u003e settled in Tours‑sur‑Marne as a champagne wine merchant. It was here in this Grand Cru village, located at the crossroads of the three main vineyards, that he founded what was to become Maison Laurent‑Perrier.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen Pierlot died he was succeeded by his son Alphonse. As Alphonse Pierlot had no descendants, he passed the company on to his cellar master Eugène Laurent. Eugène Laurent died prematurely in a cellar accident in 1887, and his widow Mathilde-Emilie Perrier took over the reins of the company. She added her surname to that of Eugène Laurent to give the House the name Veuve Laurent‑Perrier. Eugénie-Hortense Laurent succeeded her mother in 1925 but struggled to keep it afloat during the Great Depression and sold the failing Champagne House to Marie-Louise de Nonancourt in 1939.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarie-Louise de Nonancourt\u003c\/span\u003e came from a long line of Champagne makers and bought the house to provide a future in the industry for her sons Maurice and Bernard. During World War II, both Maurice and Bernard fought occupying German forces in the French Resistance. Maurice, the elder of the two, was captured by the German army and tragically died in a concentration camp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1944, after the liberation of Paris, Bernard served as a sergeant in the French Army’s 2nd Armored Division and \u003cspan\u003epersonally liberated Hitler’s private wine cellar\u003c\/span\u003e. His unit was the first to arrive at the Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler’s 'Eagle’s Nest' in the Bavarian Alps and after blowing their way through several armored steel doors they discovered a stash of over 500,000 bottles of wine, including hundreds of cases of first-growth Bordeaux, vintage Champagnes, and aged Cognacs. De Nonancourt was later awarded the Croix de Guerre for his wartime service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter returning from the war in 1945, Bernard de Nonancourt returned to Champagne eager to start work in the family business. His mother didn't give him a job at Laurent-Perrier, instead, she sent him on an intensive three-year apprenticeship at Lanson and Delamotte to learn from the ground up. He worked in the vineyards, the cellar and the office, and even spent some time on the road selling Champagne. In 1948, at the age of 28, de Nonancourt was appointed CEO of Laurent-Perrier. De Nonancourt \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eheld the position for 57 years, semi-retiring in 2005.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt the time of his appointment, the company employed around twenty people and sold 80,000 bottles a year. Under his leadership, de Nonancourt, affectionately referred to as 'Le Grand Bernard' by his peers, increased Laurent-Perrier’s sales a hundred-fold and helped the brand become one of the world’s leading Champagne houses. \u003c\/span\u003eBernard de Nonancourt developed a unique range of champagnes and created the Laurent‑Perrier style - freshness, elegance and purity. To do this, its blends were driven by a higher-than-normal percentage of Chardonnay grapes, the least-planted and most expensive in the region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1996, \u003cspan\u003ede Nonancourt took his first step back from the business, engaging an outsider Jean-François Bauer as its president-directeur general. Bauer’s 'commercial expertise' was brought in to 'underpin the financial stability of the company and secure its future as a family business until de Nonancourt’s daughters were ready to take over the business.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe house today is run by Bernard’s two daughters, Stéphanie Meneux de Nonancourt and Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt. Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt, Alexandra's eldest daughter, joined Laurent-Perrier in September 2019 and is the ambassador for Grand Siècle, the House's unique prestige cuvée based on a blend of 3 exceptional vintages.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Lucie says of her grandfather Bernard, \"\u003c\/span\u003eHe first began to define the style of champagne he wanted to produce based on freshness, elegance and finesse. In order to obtain this, he chose Chardonnay as the main grape variety while everyone else was giving preference to Pinot Noir; opted for a vinification without any oxygen when the other houses were using oak barrels; and lowered the dosage at a time when Champagne was served at dessert and was indeed quite sweet. That was then very innovative. He applied this innovation to all the cuvées he created subsequently, including the Grand Siècle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChâteau de Louvois\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUntil 1989 the de Nonancourt family lived at the winery and cellars at Tour-sur-Marne. In need of more space to run the business, they decided to move to the chic Château de Louvois three miles away and close to the grand cru village of Bouzy, The château had been built by Michel Le Tellier, Louis the XIV’s chancellor, who also oversaw the building of the Palais de Versailles. He managed to convince the palace’s famous garden designer André Le Nôtre to landscape Louvois as well.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eLe Nôtre’s symmetrical gardens, his orangerie (with its original Mansard roof) and the two grand fountains nestle in woodland behind a walled figure-of-eight terrace. Beautifully calm and understated, it is, perhaps, a little like Grand Siècle itself.\"  \u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSimon Field MW\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-PerrierChateaudeLouvois2_1024x1024.png?v=1707053432\" alt=\"Château de Louvois\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVineyards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLouis Roederer has always invested in their vineyards. The original Louis Roederer began purchasing Grand Cru vineyards in Vallée de la Marne and familiarized himself with his different vineyard parcels. Subsequent generations have retained a firm focus on the vineyards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday the House owns over 242 hectares (594 acres), predominantly from Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages. The estate vineyards account for 70 percent of production and a\u003cspan\u003ell the Roederer vintage wines are 100% estate grown. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRoederer owns vineyards in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCôtes des Blancs, Vallée de la Marne and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMontagne de Reims regions. The House owns more than 80 hectares in the Côtes des Blancs, with a vineyard team based in Avize. They also have a team in the Vallée de la Marne, in Aÿ, where they have 65 hectares, and another team in the Montagne de Reims looking after some 70 acres.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoederer, under Chef de Cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, has split up the vineyard holdings so that specific plots are designated for particular cuvées. The aim is to have the same people tending the same vines year after year. The grapes in each plot are meticulously gathered by hand, collected in the buckets and pressed on the site of the harvest. \u003cspan\u003eThe pressing process is a delicate one because the berry must not alter the colour of the juice, which must maintain its golden hue and clarity. The plot-by-plot vinification ensures that the origins and traceability of the grapes are preserved and provides a record of the fruit from each plot. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInside the cuves and the tuns, the wine from each plot develops into an 'entity' in its own right, with its own qualities - and sometimes weaknesses - that the oenologists fully nurture and exploit. \u003c\/span\u003eThe specific characteristics of each cru are preserved until the blending process.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrivate nursery vineyard\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the village of Bouleuse, near Reims, Roederer has a very important vineyard - with 11 out of the village’s 13 hectares, they effectively own the village. They selected the vineyard in 2013 to plant American rootstocks on which massale selections from their own vineyards are grafted. This means they can plant young vines that have wholly been grown in their own sites, without using an external vineyard nursery. They have been granted the status of 'pepiniériste privé' which allows them to do this. They also \u003cspan\u003egrow young vines without American rootstocks, using grapevines from before the Phylloxera crisis, to see if there is a difference in taste.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"It’s very important because it is a bit away from the mainstream of vineyards and we have all our nursery there: we do all massale selection and grow all our own rootstocks,\" says Lecaillon. \"We have the unique position in Champagne of having our own private nursery. We are the only house with this position. We believe the challenge of the 21st century will be genetic. This is why we really focus on massale selection and we believe there is a huge biodiversity that we can explore. This could answer a lot of questions of the 21st century, such as climate change. We have some Pinot Noir clones that can ripen three weeks apart. From one Pinot Noir to another you reach the same alcohol level with three weeks difference. This is huge. In the context of global warming you can imagine planting late-ripening Pinots as opposed to the early-ripening Pinots planted in the 1960s and 70s.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBiodynamic farming\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRoederer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ehas always farmed as sustainably as possible and, in 2002, was the first Grande Marque house to adopt biodynamic farming. Today, half of Louis Roederer's vineyards are certified organic and half worked biodynamically. They are the largest biodynamic producer in Champagne.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Out of the 242 hectares, we have 122 hectares – a bit more than half – organically certified,\" says Lécaillon. \"We are increasing our certification every year. We have 10 hectares that are Demeter biodynamic certified as well, but we do biodynamics on all the estate. All the organic vineyards, except three plots that we keep as a control, are biodynamically farmed. We do all our biodynamic composts, we do the preps on all the organic estate.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"We started our conversion to biodynamic farming in 2000. We switched the estate slowly. In 2007 all Cristal Rosé was biodynamically farmed. Since 2012, Cristal is completely farmed biodynamically, and since 2006 we have Brut Nature that is 100% biodynamically farmed.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey can't be biodynamically certified on more of the vineyard area because they buy in fruit for the Collection (previously Brut Premier). \"I can be organic, but I cannot be Demeter because I am fermenting some wines here that are not Demeter certified. If you want to be Demeter certified you have to be 100%, and for Brut Premier I am buying fruit,\" he explains. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wines \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCollection Cuvée\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe House's calling card, Roederer’s Brut Premier, was introduced in 1986. It was a\u003c\/span\u003e traditional three-way blend of around 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier, with the addition of a minimum of 20 percent reserve wines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 'non-vintage' Brut Premier was replaced by the 'multi-vintage' Collection  242 in September 2021 when Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon's aim was no longer consistency, but to make the best possible wine in that year. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Collection cuvée each year is a bespoke vinification, made up largely from the current harvest, a significant percentage from the \u003cspan\u003ePerpetual Reserve* and around 10% of reserve wines that are aged in French oak foudres. For example, Collection 244 is made up of 54% of the 2019 harvest, 36% of the Perpetual Reserve and 10% of oak-aged reserve wines.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e* A key part of developing Collection was creating a Perpetual Reserve. Held in an enormous 10,000hl stainless steel tank, this reserve is a constantly evolving blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Started in 2012, it contains wine from every harvest since, stored without oxygen, in the depths of the House's cellar.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Champagne House wanted to reflect the historical origins of the Brut Premier in the Collection blend. To this end, 1\/3 of the blend is from their 'La Rivière' Estate, 1\/3 from their 'La Montagne' Estate and 1\/3 from their 'La Côte' Estate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage Brut\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThe Vintage, a blend of around 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, is a testament to an exceptional year. It aims to capture the unique expression of the Pinot noir from the 'La Montagne' estate, which comes mainly from the original vines purchased by the Champagne House in the village of Verzy. Around one-third of the wine is \u003cspan\u003eoak-aged. \u003c\/span\u003eThe Vintage cuvée is generally matured on lees for 4 years and left for a minimum of 6 months after dégorgement (disgorging) to attain perfect maturity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage Rosé\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThe Vintage Rosé, a blend of around 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, is a snapshot of a year. The Rosé comes from 35 small staggered plots on the warm terroirs of the 'La Rivière' estate, from the vines in the Cumières and Chouilly Crus. Like the Brut \u003cspan\u003eVintage, the Rosé is generally matured on lees for 4 years and left for a minimum of 6 months after dégorgement before release.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage Blanc de Blancs\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThe 100% Chardonnay Vintage Blanc de Blancs is inspired by the Champagne House’s savoir-faire in the harvest of a single year. The fruit is sourced from hillside plots in the Grand Cru village of Avize in the heart of the 'La Côte' estate. This champagne draws its strength from the intense chalkiness of these limestone soils which lend it its infinite freshness. With time, this champagne reveals the power and identity of this great terroir. The Blanc de Blancs Vintage cuvée is generally matured on lees for five years and left for a minimum of 6 months after dégorgement before release. 10-20% of the wine is vinified oak casks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCristal\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eCristal was\u003cspan\u003e created in 1876 and was \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe first Cuvée de Prestige launched in Champagne. It is \u003c\/span\u003ea blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eseven \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGrand Cru villages in the region. A\u003c\/span\u003eround\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1\/3 o\u003c\/span\u003ef the wine is sourced from their \u003cspan\u003e'La Rivière' Estate, 1\/3 from their 'La Montagne' Estate and 1\/3 from their 'La Côte' Estate (in the \u003c\/span\u003esub-regions of Vallée de la Marne, Montagne de Reims and Côtes des Blancs respectively). The Pinot Noir comes from the Grand Cru villages of Aÿ, Verzy, Verzenay and Beaumont-sur-Vesle, the Chardonnay from \u003cspan\u003ethe Grand Cru villages of \u003c\/span\u003eMesnil \u003cspan\u003esur Oger\u003c\/span\u003e, Avize and Cramant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAround a third of the wines are vinified in oak, the remainder in steel. Malolactic fermentation is blocked. The wine spends 6 years on lees in Louis Roederer’s cellars and after dégorgement is left for a further 8 months before it is released. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCristal Rosé\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn 1974, almost 100 years after the launch of Cristal, Jean-Claude Rouzaud created the Cristal Rosé cuvée. He selected old-vine Pinot noir grapes from the finest Grand Cru vineyards at Aÿ, which are now cultivated according to biodynamic principles. The unique calcareous clay soil, which gives the grapes an exquisite minerality, enables the vines (in the best years) to attain exceptional fruit maturity, complemented by a crystalline acidity.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cell\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCristal Rosé\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ea blend of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay from\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e three\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGrand Cru villages in the region. A\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eround \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1\/2 o\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ef the wine is sourced from their \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'La Rivière' Estate and 1\/2 from their 'La Côte' Estate (in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003esub-regions of Vallée de la Marne and Côtes des Blancs respectively). The Pinot Noir comes from the Grand Cru village of Aÿ, the Chardonnay from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe Grand Cru villages of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMesnil \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003esur Oger and\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Avize.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComprising around 20% of wine matured in oak tuns, Cristal Rosé is produced using the saignée (bleeding) process after cold maceration. The cuvée is aged, on average, for 6 years in Louis Roederer’s cellars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrut Nature\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eIn October 2014, Frédéric Rouzaud added the latest vintage cuvée to the portfolio, the 2006 Brut Nature. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon says of the Brut Nature, \"This is, without a doubt, the least 'Roederer' in style of all our Champagnes, as well as the most modern.' The collaborating designer Philip Starck wanted to create a modern Champagne – a wine of the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis inspired Lécaillon and his team to go against all classic rules of Champagne making. The wine is made from a single year, one terroir, picked in one day, co-pressed and co-fermented, with less mousse (a lower pressure of 4 atmospheres of pressure when typically most champagnes are at 6 atmospheres) and no dosage. The essence of this cuvée is its uniqueness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cuvée is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier - the percentages of each varietal vary markedly from year to year. The grapes are sourced from three plots in the Cumières Cru in their 'La Rivière' Estate. The Cumières clay hillside on the banks of the Marne river, turned towards the sun and basking in its light, is a hallowed enclave. These black soils have long been known to produce generous, opulent and intensely fragrant grapes, and in warmer years (when the Brut Nature is made) the grapes obtain incredible ripeness and a higher vibration which gives a lovely contrast between fruity intensity and salinity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven if Lécaillon feels they can make a similar wine in sun-drenched years, he stresses that \"the next vintage will be different, as the aim of the cuvée is to express the essence of this specific place in a specific year.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44284910469361,"sku":null,"price":145.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-Perrier-Brut-Millesime-2012.jpg?v=1707086809"},{"product_id":"laurent-perrier-grand-siecle-grande-cuvee-no-26-mv","title":"Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Grande Cuvée No. 26 MV","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJames Suckling Wine of the Year 2023\u003cbr\u003eJames Suckling Top 100 Wines of the World 2023\u003cbr\u003eJames Suckling Top 100 Wines of France 2023\u003cbr\u003eWine Enthusiast Cellar Selection of 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFounded in 1812, Laurent-Perrier is one of the finest and largest Champagne Houses, producing around 7 million bottles annually. It was the first House to create a multi-vintage prestige cuvée, Grand Siècle, which was launched in 1959. Laurent-Perrier believed they could create the perfect oenological year, something that nature could never provide, by blending wines from different vintage years - a bold departure from convention. Always a blend of three exceptional vintages that perfectly complement each other, one year is chosen for structure, one for finesse and one for freshness, creating a unique combination of power and balance. For each release, fruit is sourced from a rigorous selection of parcels from 11 Grand Crus.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGrand Siècle Grande Cuvée No. 26, a blend of 58% Chardonnay and 42% Pinot Noir, is the 26th opus of this cuvée. It is based on the highly regarded vintages of 2012 (65%), 2008 (25%) and 2007 (10%), with fruit sourced from 8 Grand Cru villages, the Chardonnay mainly from Le-Mesnil-sur-Oger and the Pinot Noir primarily from Tours-sur-Marne.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"We are celebrating this year’s JamesSuckling.com Top 100 Wines of the Year with a bottle of Champagne. It’s not just an incredible bottle of Champagne, it’s the best wine we rated this year out of the almost 39,000 reviewed by myself and my team of seven tasters\/editors. It is the largest number of wines we have ever reviewed in a year, beating last year’s record of about 32,000.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt was a July tasting in Champagne of the newest release of \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\"\u003eLaurent-Perrier’s Champagne Grand Siècle Grande Cuvée N.26\u003c\/span\u003e that inspired us the most in 2023. It is a sensational-quality bottle showing incredible texture, depth and complexity. Its great structure will keep it fresh and vivid for a very long time, yet it is equally energetic and intense, highlighting its beauty now. Champagne producers have always said that their bottles are first great wines and then great Champagnes, and this is certainly the case with the Grand Siècle Grande Cuvée N.26.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat makes the Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siècle Grande Cuvée N.26 so magical is its exceptional blend of vintages,  three beautiful years with the uniquely powerful 2008 vintage giving it the edge. It’s a perfectly harmonized blend of 65 percent 2012, 25 percent 2008 and 10 percent 2007. The 2012 gives the Grand Siècle Cuvée N.26 its balance and form, with subtle and bright fruit, while the 2008 gives it a vertical depth and focused energy with a subtle phenolic tension that frames the wine gorgeously. Finally, the touch of 2007 delivers more liveliness and vivacity. It comes from eight grand cru vineyards, and it’s 58 percent chardonnay and 42 percent  pinot noir. It’s released after about 10 years on the lees in the bottle. This is the last Grand Siècle Cuvée to include the magnificent 2008 vintage, which was used for its predecessors, including No. 25 and No. 24.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is really something. Electric on the palate. The aromas are so complex with sliced fresh and dried ginger, subtle pie crust, tarte tatin and hints of nutmeg with some salted caramel. Toasted bread, too. Always subtle. The palate is full- to medium-bodied yet hemmed-in with a freshness and balance that draws you back. Savory and vibrant. It's full of energy. Spectacular. Fascinating. Symphonic blend of 2012, 2008 and 2007.\u003c\/span\u003e\"  James Suckling\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"A white gold in color with delicate and persistent bubbles. A very complex nose which mixes honeysuckle, lemon, clementine and fresh butter aromas, followed by notes of hazelnut and a touch of honey. The attack in the mouth is very delicate and fresh with candied lemon and fresh hazelnut aromas. The palate is silky and mineral with notes of honeysuckle, flaked almonds and clementine.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eLaurent-Perrier\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eThis is really something. Electric on the palate. The aromas are so complex with sliced fresh and dried ginger, subtle pie crust, tarte tatin and hints of nutmeg with some salted caramel. Toasted bread, too. Always subtle. The palate is full- to medium-bodied yet hemmed-in with a freshness and balance that draws you back. Savory and vibrant. It's full of energy. Spectacular. Fascinating. Symphonic blend of 2012, 2008 and 2007. 65% of the 2012, 25% of the 2008 and 10% of the 2007. Eight grand cru. Chardonnay 58% and 42% pinot noir. Disgorged February 2023. 10 years on the lees. 7g\/L dosage. Drink or hold.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"  \u003cstrong\u003eJames Suckling, JamesSuckling.com – 100 points and Wine of the Year 2023 and Top 100 Wines of the World 2023 and Top 100 Wines of France 2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBettane et Desseauve - 99 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Powerful aroma of orange peel and something in the putty\/chalk spectrum. It somehow manages to be both tight yet approachable, dense in terms of flavour concentration yet filigree in terms of texture. As usual, it's so Chardonnay! Overriding citrus character and quite amazingly long, a mouthful tingling on the palate for minutes not seconds. Enormous finesse. Massive pleasure. This would make the most luxurious aperitif. Michel Fauconnet, having welcomed the new chef de cave in January 2023, must be especially proud of this wine.\"\u003cstrong\u003e  Jancis Robinson - 19.5\/20 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003ePale golden yellow, silver reflections, fine, persistent mousse. Fine notes of yellow tropical fruit, ripe mango underpinned by cookie and citrus zest, mineral and fresh, seductive bouquet. Full-bodied, very elegant and harmonious, white peach, lively structure, salty touch on the finish, taut, cool, dry vinous style, shows very good length and assured certain ageing potential, perfect as an aperitif as well as a food companion\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\"  \u003cstrong\u003eFalstaff - 98 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eTautly textured, the Champagne is delicious with a poise between white and citrus fruits along with touches of maturity coming through. Drink this magnificent wine now for its great balance and intensity.\u003c\/span\u003e\"\u003cstrong\u003e  Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast - 97 points and No 6 Cellar Selection of 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eA blend of the 2012, 2008 and 2007 vintages, the NV Brut Grand Siècle #26 is just coming onto the market. Wafting from the glass with notes of nectarine, peach and ripe citrus fruits mingled with notions of freshly baked bread, buttered toast, nougat, white flowers and clear honey, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a deep and rather broad-shouldered core of fruit that's girdled by racy acids and animated by a classy pinpoint mousse. This suave, complex three-vintage blend is the Grande Marque prestige cuvée par excellence. This bottle was disgorged in February 2023 with seven grams per liter dosage. Drink 2023-2042.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"  \u003cstrong\u003eWilliam Kelley, The Wine Advocate - 96+ points\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\"The NV Brut Grand Siècle #26 is a stunning Champagne, revealing a complex, dense bouquet of confit citrus, white peach, white flowers, honey, beeswax and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, enveloping and layered, it has a deep, fleshy core of fruit, bright acids, a vinous texture and broad shoulders, segueing into a long, mineral and delicately saline finish. Chardonnay remains the majority, making up 58% of the blend (sourced mainly from Le Mesnil), while Pinot Noir, primarily from Tours-sur-Marne, comprises 42%. This is a blend of the 2012 (65%), 2008 (25%) and 2007 (10%) vintages and was disgorged with a dosage of seven grams per liter.\"  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eYohan Castaing, Wine Advocate – 96+ points \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eThis iteration of Grand Siècle is almost entirely composed of two of Champagne's greatest recent vintages, so expectations are high. The wine more than meets them, tempering the generosity of 2012's fruit – ripe apricots, white peach, clementines and sunny, zesty citrus–with a pitch-perfect streak of 2008 tautness and structure. There are some fleshy, creamy notes of papaya and toasted white sourdough, but everything is as delicately rendered as expected and impeccably shaped, with a sleek, silky mousse. A little more approachable than Itération No. 25, it will welcome extended bottle age rather than demand it.\u003c\/span\u003e\"\u003cstrong\u003e  Tom Hewson, Decanter - 96 points\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAwards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJames Suckling Wine of the Year 2023\u003cbr\u003eJames Suckling Top 100 Wines of the World 2023\u003cbr\u003eJames Suckling Top 100 Wines of France 2023\u003cbr\u003eWine Enthusiast Cellar Selection of 2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCrus\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start;\" class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-top: 15px; float: none;\" alt=\"Grand Cru village Tours-sur-Marne on the Montagne de Reims\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-Perrier_Tours-sur-Marne_1024x1024.jpg?v=1745274131\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrand Cru village Tours-sur-Marne on the Montagne de Reims \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eThe Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Grande Cuvée No. 26 is a blend of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e58% Chardonnay and 42% Pinot Noir. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Chardonnay is sourced from four Grand Cru villages on the Côte des Blancs: Le-Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Cramant and Avize. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Pinot Noir is sourced from four Grand Cru villages on the \u003c\/span\u003eMontagne de Reims: Tours-sur-Marne, Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzy.\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChef de cave\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-PerrierMichelFauconnetChefdeCave_1024x1024.png?v=1707024697\" alt=\"Michel Fauconnet, Chef de Cave Laurent-Perrier\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichel Fauconnet, Chef de Cave Laurent-Perrier from 2004-2023\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following text is taken from an article that appeared in Bon Couer Fine Wines\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichel Fauconnet first joined Laurent-Perrier in August 1973 doing work experience in the cellars after getting a certificate in agricultural engineering at the Agricultural College of Rethel, in the Ardennes region. He has acquired his experience on the ground.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFauconnet climbed the ladder at Laurent-Perrier, working as a manual worker from 1974 to 1976 before being promoted to technical staff in 1980. Four years later, in February 2004, he was appointed Chef de Cave and became responsible for Laurent-Perrier’s winery and the fermentation process of all of Laurent-Perrier’s wines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichel Fauconnet took over from Alain Terrier, who retired after 30 years and to whom he was Executive Deputy. For more than 20 years and alongside Alain Terrier - a man who was good at training and loved to pass on his knowledge - they created pleasurable wines based on solid know-how and building strong relationships with grape-growers. At his side, Mr Fauconnet also assimilated his oenology knowledge and worked hand-in-hand with a closeknit team he has now made his own.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichel Fauconnet has spent his entire working life at Laurent-Perrier and is dedicated to the company with whom he shares a passion for champagne and family values built on perfection and great expectation. Fond of sport and a football lover, he played at top level at the Stade de Reims. He is a thorough man with a strong personality who has won the respect of grape growers and the Champagne community.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou have been at the House of Laurent-Perrier for over 40 years, how did you begin your career?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI joined Laurent-Perrier on August 28, 1973. I had sent a letter to the late Bernard de Nonancourt, asking for work-experience. I never left the House.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescribe the spirit of Laurent-Perrier and how it stands out from other Grand Marques?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginally founded in 1812, the House of Laurent-Perrier is now recognised as one of the largest independent and family-owned champagne brands. It is the style and quality of our wines which enable Laurent-Perrier to stand out. We have supply of excellent Chardonnay grapes, backbone of Laurent-Perrier’s style.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescribe Laurent-Perrier vineyards and your unique relationships with the growers\/suppliers you work with.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLaurent-Perrier owns 10% of its needs. Our vineyards are mainly located in the areas of the Côte des Blancs for Chardonnay, and the Montagne de Reims for Pinot Noir. We nurture our lasting relationships with wine growers. Some of our partners are from the third generation! It means the quality of our supply is consistent. We share the same respect for nature and traditional values.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe recently visited Laurent-Perrier and had the pleasure of going into the cellars. It was very impressive. Can you describe the cellars and the work that’s carried out there?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are more than 9km (6 miles) of cellars, built in chalk (Champagne’s typical terroir stone) at the historical estate of Laurent-Perrier in Tours-sur-Marne. We have built an extension in 2008-2009 with new state-of-theart stainless steel tanks. And to mark our 200th anniversary, we unveiled a new winery, dedicated to our prestige cuvee Grand Siècle, last year. We have invested much effort into our vinification equipment and installations which are state of the art technology, whilst retaining our tradition and values.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan you describe the Laurent-Perrier blending process, who is involved and when, where does it take place? \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChampagne is made by assemblage: the blending of different varietals under appellation (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, depending on the cuvées), coming from different crus (villages of growth). We systematically separate varietals and crus at time of harvest (no Chardonnay from Avize with Chardonnay from Oger, etc). It means that I have several hundreds of different 'clear wines' to taste. For each of our cuvées and according to each style, I must identify the wines before the final blend. It means projecting yourself four years ahead when the wine will be ready after ageing. It is the savoir-faire of the House. I am the final decision-maker but am working with a small team.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrand Siècle is a blend of many different vintages and a very special cuvée – could you tell us more about this wine and the stages of its development?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn 1959, Bernard de Nonancourt launched Grand Siècle, his prestige cuvée, the quintessence of the art of blending. He concentrated on two essential components of traditional champagne savoir-faire. The careful blending of the greatest crus and of wines from three particularly outstanding harvests declared as vintage years by Laurent-Perrier. In a word: 'The best of the best with the best'!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou were made Cellar Master in 2004 – over the lifetime of your career what have been your greatest moments in the job to date and who has influenced you most in your career? \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWorking alongside Bernard de Nonancourt, and having his trust has been the highlight of my career. But I spent 30 years as deputy to the previous cellar master, Alain Terrier, who taught me everything. The period between 1975-1985 was a happy time. There were a lot of changes in practises and evolution in our job, particularly in the technique of maceration of Pinot Noir and extracting all its aromas for our Cuvée Rosé Laurent-Perrier. It was all very exciting.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are your top three Champagne vintages of the last 50 years and why?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1995: Perfect balance between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, typical of Laurent-Perrier style for our blends. 1990: Atypical year, superb for its Chardonnay. 1976: Another atypical year with both quality and maturity, despite a small yield.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-PerrierMaximilienBernardeauChefdeCave_1024x1024.png?v=1707026047\" alt=\"Maximilien Bernardeau, Chef de Cave Laurent-Perrier\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaximilien Bernardeau, Chef de Cave Laurent-Perrier from 2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaximilien Bernardeau was appointed Cellar Master (Chef de Cave) and Head of Wines for the Laurent-Perrier Group in July 2023. Bernardeau will continue to report to the retiring Chef de Cave, Michel Fauconnet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Laurent-Perrier group brings together the houses of Laurent-Perrier in Tours-sur-Marne, Salon and Delamotte in Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Champagne de Castellane in Épernay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBernardeau holds a degree in cell biology and plant physiology. He obtained his DNO (National Diploma of Oenologist) in 2008 at the University of Dijon. He worked briefly in Burgundy before joining Sofralab as a consultant oenologist in Champagneore working for the company Sofralab as a consultant oenologist in Aube and then Marne, where he acquired in-depth experience in the cultivation of vines and Champagne winemaking. He joined Maison Laurent-Perrier in January 2023.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLucie Pereyre\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt, Laurent-Perrier\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-PerrierLuciePereyredeNonancourt_1024x1024.png?v=1707030119\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eLucie Pereyre de Nonancourt, Alexandra's eldest daughter, joined Laurent-Perrier in September 2019. Lucie represents Grand Siècle around the world and trains with the Chef de Cave, the production teams and the sales teams, as part of Laurent-Perrier's innovative approach.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"During COVID (just after she joined \u003cspan\u003eLaurent-Perrier) \u003c\/span\u003eI took advantage of the time to both learn about the history of our House and to work in the vineyards with our team - to really understand the origin of our story, our values, and our role towards nature. I also spent time with our Cellar Master to really get a good understanding of our special approach to winemaking, especially for Grand Siècle as it requires more precision and specific know-how.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first year was mostly about learning. It is still the case today as I am learning new things every day, but now I have the even greater challenge of explaining the secrets behind the creation of Grand Siècle to our different markets. My goal is to make people see how unique Grand Siècle is among the other prestige cuvées.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy role has also evolved and I increasingly participate in the vins clairs tastings throughout the year, especially when doing the assemblage of Grand Siècle, which I find a truly extraordinary experience.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following text is taken from an interview with Lucie Pereyre \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ethat appeared in The Champagne Club\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescribe yourself in a few sentences!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy name is Lucie Pereyre, I am the 4th generation family member at Champagne Laurent-Perrier and my role is to represent Grand Siècle, our prestige cuvée, worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat I love about my work is that I am able to work with different department within the company, like the vineyard, the winery, the marketing and the commercial department. It is very polyvalent and this is what I enjoyed the most.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow did you get into the champagne profession?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven if I was born within a Champagne family, it was not obvious for me to join and I always had the freedom to choose my own path.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI discovered my passion for wine late in my studies. This is when I decided to fully study wine by getting my WSET diploma and to work in a Spanish winery. Inspired and strengthened by these experiences, I joined the family business in 2019 to train with our Cellar Master Michel Fauconnet, the Production and Salesforce teams, to be part of the innovative know-how of Laurent-Perrier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSince Your Champagne company started, how many chef de caves have Your company had?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust to remind you Laurent-Perrier has belonged to my family since 1939. Since then, we only had 3 cellar masters. What is incredible is that our current cellar master arrived at 21 years old in 1973 and worked closely with the 2 previous ones, which is completely unique nowadays. It has allowed us to preserve our know-how and consistency in style, while always looking for more innovation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow would You describe Your 'house\/producer style' and how do You achieve it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince the beginning, it has been very clear to my grandfather that he would do things differently. He was a visionary man and creativity was his state of mind. That is why he decided to favor the Chardonnay when this grape was not the most used in Champagne. He was the first one to bring stainless tanks in 1973 within an oak-barrel region, because he wanted to adopt a reductive winemaking style and he was among the first to elaborate a zero dosage champagne to reveal the purity of the terroir. Since then we have raised the quality of our supply, we are continuously improving our production techniques and increased our ageing time on lees to obtain the style we have today: a style defined by its freshness, its elegance and its purity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat role do grape varieties play in creating your style?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll of our wines, except our two rosés, have a majority of Chardonnay completed by Pinot Noir. The Chardonnay grape gives us the freshness, the citrus aromas and the long ageing potential we are looking for and the Pinot Noir brings us an elegant structure and a lot of complex aromas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003eWhat do You think of the current trend of 'terroir champagnes' made of single parcels?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eIt is important to reveal the purity of the terroir and its distinctive characteristics. However, at Laurent-Perrier we think that it is possible to get a better result by blending those parcels for their complementarity to reach a more complex wine. We know our parcels and what they can give, and depending on the vintage and their expression we will define the right proportion for each of them into the final blend to obtain the perfect balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe best example of this work is Grand Siècle, our emblematic cuvée. Because what we do to obtain it, is to make a rigorous selection among the parcels within 11 Grands Crus. Every parcel has its own identity that we want to capture and preserve before using it into the final blend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2020 was a very special year. What’s Your idea of the near future for Champagne in general? \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2020, the COVID and the lockdown were really not expected and it was not easy. But, despite this situation, the winegrowers maintained their work in the vineyard as the Nature was not waiting for us. Moreover, the following year was not an easy one either. Everyone had to be very flexible and realized how much the climate change was affecting seriously our work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think it all confirmed this general move to go towards more sustainability.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe already have a big purpose as a whole region to reduce our carbon impact by 2050, and reach by 2030, 100% of the producers to obtain the VDC certification (Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne). And then, individually, we are trying to do efforts wherever we can to protect our Nature and Terroir.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhich Champagne would you treat a dream guest, and why?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI would like to treat my grandfather by sharing with him the first Iteration of Grand Siècle, made out of blend of 1952, 1953 and 1955. It would be the perfect opportunity to tell him how proud I am to represent his very first innovation that still remain unique today: a blend of 3 exceptional vintages to recreate the perfect oenological year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe winery\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Domaine Laurent-Perrier\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-Perrier_1024x1024.png?v=1707032330\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFounded in 1812 and sold in over 160 countries worldwide, Laurent-Perrier is one of Champagne’s leading Houses. The brand’s modern-day success is owed, in large part, to the enduring work of Bernard de Nonancourt, who joined the company in 1948. But the House’s story started well over a century prior, long before it was called Laurent-Perrier. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Champagne house was founded in 1812 by a former cask maker named André Michel Pierlot., who\u003cspan\u003e settled in Tours‑sur‑Marne as a champagne wine merchant. It was here in this Grand Cru village, located at the crossroads of the three main vineyards, that he founded what was to become Maison Laurent‑Perrier.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen Pierlot died he was succeeded by his son Alphonse. As Alphonse Pierlot had no descendants, he passed the company on to his cellar master Eugène Laurent. Eugène Laurent died prematurely in a cellar accident in 1887, and his widow Mathilde-Emilie Perrier took over the reins of the company. She added her surname to that of Eugène Laurent to give the House the name Veuve Laurent‑Perrier. Eugénie-Hortense Laurent succeeded her mother in 1925 but struggled to keep it afloat during the Great Depression and sold the failing Champagne House to Marie-Louise de Nonancourt in 1939.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarie-Louise de Nonancourt\u003c\/span\u003e came from a long line of Champagne makers and bought the house to provide a future in the industry for her sons Maurice and Bernard. During World War II, both Maurice and Bernard fought occupying German forces in the French Resistance. Maurice, the elder of the two, was captured by the German army and tragically died in a concentration camp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1944, after the liberation of Paris, Bernard served as a sergeant in the French Army’s 2nd Armored Division and \u003cspan\u003epersonally liberated Hitler’s private wine cellar\u003c\/span\u003e. His unit was the first to arrive at the Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler’s 'Eagle’s Nest' in the Bavarian Alps and after blowing their way through several armored steel doors they discovered a stash of over 500,000 bottles of wine, including hundreds of cases of first-growth Bordeaux, vintage Champagnes, and aged Cognacs. De Nonancourt was later awarded the Croix de Guerre for his wartime service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter returning from the war in 1945, Bernard de Nonancourt returned to Champagne eager to start work in the family business. His mother didn't give him a job at Laurent-Perrier, instead, she sent him on an intensive three-year apprenticeship at Lanson and Delamotte to learn from the ground up. He worked in the vineyards, the cellar and the office, and even spent some time on the road selling Champagne. In 1948, at the age of 28, de Nonancourt was appointed CEO of Laurent-Perrier. De Nonancourt \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eheld the position for 57 years, semi-retiring in 2005.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt the time of his appointment, the company employed around twenty people and sold 80,000 bottles a year. Under his leadership, de Nonancourt, affectionately referred to as 'Le Grand Bernard' by his peers, increased Laurent-Perrier’s sales a hundred-fold and helped the brand become one of the world’s leading Champagne houses. \u003c\/span\u003eBernard de Nonancourt developed a unique range of champagnes and created the Laurent‑Perrier style - freshness, elegance and purity. To do this, its blends were driven by a higher-than-normal percentage of Chardonnay grapes, the least-planted and most expensive in the region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1996, \u003cspan\u003ede Nonancourt took his first step back from the business, engaging an outsider Jean-François Bauer as its president-directeur general. Bauer’s 'commercial expertise' was brought in to 'underpin the financial stability of the company and secure its future as a family business until de Nonancourt’s daughters were ready to take over the business.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe house today is run by Bernard’s two daughters, Stéphanie Meneux de Nonancourt and Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt. Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt, Alexandra's eldest daughter, joined Laurent-Perrier in September 2019 and is the ambassador for Grand Siècle, the House's unique prestige cuvée based on a blend of 3 exceptional vintages.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Lucie says of her grandfather Bernard, \"\u003c\/span\u003eHe first began to define the style of champagne he wanted to produce based on freshness, elegance and finesse. In order to obtain this, he chose Chardonnay as the main grape variety while everyone else was giving preference to Pinot Noir; opted for a vinification without any oxygen when the other houses were using oak barrels; and lowered the dosage at a time when Champagne was served at dessert and was indeed quite sweet. That was then very innovative. He applied this innovation to all the cuvées he created subsequently, including the Grand Siècle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChâteau de Louvois\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUntil 1989 the de Nonancourt family lived at the winery and cellars at Tours-sur-Marne. In need of more space to run the business, they decided to move to the chic Château de Louvois three miles away and close to the grand cru village of Bouzy, The château had been built by Michel Le Tellier, Louis the XIV’s chancellor, who also oversaw the building of the Palais de Versailles. He managed to convince the palace’s famous garden designer André Le Nôtre to landscape Louvois as well.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eLe Nôtre’s symmetrical gardens, his orangerie (with its original Mansard roof) and the two grand fountains nestle in woodland behind a walled figure-of-eight terrace. Beautifully calm and understated, it is, perhaps, a little like Grand Siècle itself.\"  \u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSimon Field MW\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Château de Louvois\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-PerrierChateaudeLouvois2_1024x1024.png?v=1707053432\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wines \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCollection Cuvée\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eThe House's calling card is a traditional three-way blend of 50+% Chardonnay, 30-35% Pinot Noir and 10-15% Pinot Meunier sourced from over 100 crus in the Côtes des Blancs, Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne. The high proportion of Chardonnay defines the style and personality of the wine - purity, freshness and elegance. Up to 30% of reserve wines go into the blend, which spends 4 years on lees.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBrut Millésimé \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eA blend of around 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir, Brut Millésimé is only produced in exceptional years. It fully embodies the character of the vintage and uniquely reflects the distinctive style of Maison Laurent-Perrier. Chardonnay is selected from the best Grand Crus in the \u003cspan\u003eCôte des Blancs, while Pinot Noir comes from Grand Crus Villages in\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e the \u003c\/span\u003eMontagne de Reims.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCuvée \u003c\/span\u003eRosé NV\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLaurent Perrier Cuvee Rosé NV has long been the world's biggest-selling Rosé Champagne and well deserving of its title as \"The Queen Of Rosé Champagne\". Produced from 100% Pinot Noir grapes selected from 10 different Crus located in the Montagne de Reims. Aged for 5 years on lees.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003eGrand Siècle Grande Cuvée\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eLaurent-Perrier was the first House to create a multi-vintage prestige cuvée, Grand Siècle, which was launched in 1959. Laurent-Perrier believed they could create the perfect oenological year, something that nature could never provide, thanks to the art of assemblage. Always a blend of three exceptional vintages that perfectly complement each other, one year is chosen for structure, one for finesse and one for freshness, creating a unique combination of power and balance. For each release, fruit is sourced from a rigorous selection of parcels from 11 Grand Crus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage Rosé\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThe Vintage Rosé, a blend of around 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, is a snapshot of a year. The Rosé comes from 35 small staggered plots on the warm terroirs of the 'La Rivière' estate, from the vines in the Cumières and Chouilly Crus. Like the Brut \u003cspan\u003eVintage, the Rosé is generally matured on lees for 4 years and left for a minimum of 6 months after dégorgement before release.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage Blanc de Blancs\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThe 100% Chardonnay Vintage Blanc de Blancs is inspired by the Champagne House’s savoir-faire in the harvest of a single year. The fruit is sourced from hillside plots in the Grand Cru village of Avize in the heart of the 'La Côte' estate. This champagne draws its strength from the intense chalkiness of these limestone soils which lend it its infinite freshness. With time, this champagne reveals the power and identity of this great terroir. The Blanc de Blancs Vintage cuvée is generally matured on lees for five years and left for a minimum of 6 months after dégorgement before release. 10-20% of the wine is vinified oak casks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCristal\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eCristal was\u003cspan\u003e created in 1876 and was \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe first Cuvée de Prestige launched in Champagne. It is \u003c\/span\u003ea blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eseven \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGrand Cru villages in the region. A\u003c\/span\u003eround\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1\/3 o\u003c\/span\u003ef the wine is sourced from their \u003cspan\u003e'La Rivière' Estate, 1\/3 from their 'La Montagne' Estate and 1\/3 from their 'La Côte' Estate (in the \u003c\/span\u003esub-regions of Vallée de la Marne, Montagne de Reims and Côtes des Blancs respectively). The Pinot Noir comes from the Grand Cru villages of Aÿ, Verzy, Verzenay and Beaumont-sur-Vesle, the Chardonnay from \u003cspan\u003ethe Grand Cru villages of \u003c\/span\u003eMesnil \u003cspan\u003esur Oger\u003c\/span\u003e, Avize and Cramant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAround a third of the wines are vinified in oak, the remainder in steel. Malolactic fermentation is blocked. The wine spends 6 years on lees in Louis Roederer’s cellars and after dégorgement is left for a further 8 months before it is released. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCristal Rosé\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn 1974, almost 100 years after the launch of Cristal, Jean-Claude Rouzaud created the Cristal Rosé cuvée. He selected old-vine Pinot noir grapes from the finest Grand Cru vineyards at Aÿ, which are now cultivated according to biodynamic principles. The unique calcareous clay soil, which gives the grapes an exquisite minerality, enables the vines (in the best years) to attain exceptional fruit maturity, complemented by a crystalline acidity.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cell\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCristal Rosé\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ea blend of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay from\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e three\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGrand Cru villages in the region. A\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eround \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1\/2 o\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ef the wine is sourced from their \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'La Rivière' Estate and 1\/2 from their 'La Côte' Estate (in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003esub-regions of Vallée de la Marne and Côtes des Blancs respectively). The Pinot Noir comes from the Grand Cru village of Aÿ, the Chardonnay from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe Grand Cru villages of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMesnil \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003esur Oger and\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Avize.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComprising around 20% of wine matured in oak tuns, Cristal Rosé is produced using the saignée (bleeding) process after cold maceration. The cuvée is aged, on average, for 6 years in Louis Roederer’s cellars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrut Nature\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eIn October 2014, Frédéric Rouzaud added the latest vintage cuvée to the portfolio, the 2006 Brut Nature. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon says of the Brut Nature, \"This is, without a doubt, the least 'Roederer' in style of all our Champagnes, as well as the most modern.' The collaborating designer Philip Starck wanted to create a modern Champagne – a wine of the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis inspired Lécaillon and his team to go against all classic rules of Champagne making. The wine is made from a single year, one terroir, picked in one day, co-pressed and co-fermented, with less mousse (a lower pressure of 4 atmospheres of pressure when typically most champagnes are at 6 atmospheres) and no dosage. The essence of this cuvée is its uniqueness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cuvée is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier - the percentages of each varietal vary markedly from year to year. The grapes are sourced from three plots in the Cumières Cru in their 'La Rivière' Estate. The Cumières clay hillside on the banks of the Marne river, turned towards the sun and basking in its light, is a hallowed enclave. These black soils have long been known to produce generous, opulent and intensely fragrant grapes, and in warmer years (when the Brut Nature is made) the grapes obtain incredible ripeness and a higher vibration which gives a lovely contrast between fruity intensity and salinity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven if Lécaillon feels they can make a similar wine in sun-drenched years, he stresses that \"the next vintage will be different, as the aim of the cuvée is to express the essence of this specific place in a specific year.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44894303944945,"sku":null,"price":479.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-Perrier-Grand-Siecle-Grande-Cuvee-No26-MV_da814cb2-5b9f-4dc4-92ad-e62f4ab6a735.jpg?v=1745289141"},{"product_id":"laurent-perrier-brut-la-cuvee-nv-gift-box","title":"Laurent-Perrier Brut La Cuvée NV (Gift Box)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFounded in 1812, Laurent-Perrier is one of the finest and largest Champagne Houses, producing around 7 million bottles annually. \u003c\/span\u003eThe current release of Laurent-Perrier Brut La Cuvée is based on the 2016 vintage and was disgorged in December 2022. It is a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meunier sourced from over 100 crus in the Côtes des Blancs, Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne. The\u003cspan\u003e high proportion of Chardonnay defines the style and personality of the wine - purity, freshness and elegance. Up to 30% of reserve wines go into the blend which spends 4 years on lees.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Light yellow hue, fresh aromas of straw and small flowers, iced patisseries, the palate delicate and intense, cleansing dryness on the finish and really smart vitality, balance and length. White fruit shows. It really dances on the tongue.\"  Huon Hooke\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"A pale gold colour. Fine bubbles feed a persistent mousse. A delicate nose with hints of fresh citrus and white flowers. The wine’s complexity is expressed in successive notes such as those of vine peach and white fruit. A perfect balance between freshness and delicacy with fruity flavours very present on the finish.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eLaurent-Perrier\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003e'La Cuvée' comes from the purest grape juice and it alone allows Laurent‑Perrier to craft a champagne of great finesse and a beautiful freshness obtained after a long ageing process (4 years) in their cellars. Laurent‑Perrier’s style and personality are defined by its very high proportion of Chardonnay, made up of Chardonnay 50%, Pinot Noir 30-35%, Meunier 10-15% sourced from over 100 different Crus for maximum complexity and balance.\u003c\/span\u003e\"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eBettane et Desseauve - 96 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eThis is lovely, the aromas and flavors run long into the finish with notes of light butter biscuits, subtle cooked apples and peaches. It's full yet balanced and long. Lovely texture. Lots of flavor and polished textured bubbles. The base in the current release is 2016 vintage. 50% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir and 15% pinot meunier. Disgorged in December 2022. Drink now.\u003c\/span\u003e\"\u003cstrong\u003e  James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com – 93 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eLight yellow hue, fresh aromas of straw and small flowers, iced patisseries, the palate delicate and intense, cleansing dryness on the finish and really smart vitality, balance and length. White fruit shows. It really dances on the tongue.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"  \u003cstrong\u003eHuon Hooke, The Real Review - 93 points\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChef de cave\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Michel Fauconnet, Chef de Cave Laurent-Perrier\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-PerrierMichelFauconnetChefdeCave_1024x1024.png?v=1707024697\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichel Fauconnet, Chef de Cave Laurent-Perrier from 2004-2023\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following text is taken from an article that appeared in Bon Couer Fine Wines\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichel Fauconnet first joined Laurent-Perrier in August 1973 doing work experience in the cellars after getting a certificate in agricultural engineering at the Agricultural College of Rethel, in the Ardennes region. He has acquired his experience on the ground.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFauconnet climbed the ladder at Laurent-Perrier, working as a manual worker from 1974 to 1976 before being promoted to technical staff in 1980. Four years later, in February 2004, he was appointed Chef de Cave and became responsible for Laurent-Perrier’s winery and the fermentation process of all of Laurent-Perrier’s wines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichel Fauconnet took over from Alain Terrier, who retired after 30 years and to whom he was Executive Deputy. For more than 20 years and alongside Alain Terrier - a man who was good at training and loved to pass on his knowledge - they created pleasurable wines based on solid know-how and building strong relationships with grape-growers. At his side, Mr Fauconnet also assimilated his oenology knowledge and worked hand-in-hand with a closeknit team he has now made his own.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichel Fauconnet has spent his entire working life at Laurent-Perrier and is dedicated to the company with whom he shares a passion for champagne and family values built on perfection and great expectation. Fond of sport and a football lover, he played at top level at the Stade de Reims. He is a thorough man with a strong personality who has won the respect of grape growers and the Champagne community.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou have been at the House of Laurent-Perrier for over 40 years, how did you begin your career?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI joined Laurent-Perrier on August 28, 1973. I had sent a letter to the late Bernard de Nonancourt, asking for work-experience. I never left the House.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescribe the spirit of Laurent-Perrier and how it stands out from other Grand Marques?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginally founded in 1812, the House of Laurent-Perrier is now recognised as one of the largest independent and family-owned champagne brands. It is the style and quality of our wines which enable Laurent-Perrier to stand out. We have supply of excellent Chardonnay grapes, backbone of Laurent-Perrier’s style.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescribe Laurent-Perrier vineyards and your unique relationships with the growers\/suppliers you work with.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLaurent-Perrier owns 10% of its needs. Our vineyards are mainly located in the areas of the Côte des Blancs for Chardonnay, and the Montagne de Reims for Pinot Noir. We nurture our lasting relationships with wine growers. Some of our partners are from the third generation! It means the quality of our supply is consistent. We share the same respect for nature and traditional values.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe recently visited Laurent-Perrier and had the pleasure of going into the cellars. It was very impressive. Can you describe the cellars and the work that’s carried out there?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are more than 9km (6 miles) of cellars, built in chalk (Champagne’s typical terroir stone) at the historical estate of Laurent-Perrier in Tours-sur-Marne. We have built an extension in 2008-2009 with new state-of-theart stainless steel tanks. And to mark our 200th anniversary, we unveiled a new winery, dedicated to our prestige cuvee Grand Siècle, last year. We have invested much effort into our vinification equipment and installations which are state of the art technology, whilst retaining our tradition and values.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan you describe the Laurent-Perrier blending process, who is involved and when, where does it take place? \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChampagne is made by assemblage: the blending of different varietals under appellation (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, depending on the cuvées), coming from different crus (villages of growth). We systematically separate varietals and crus at time of harvest (no Chardonnay from Avize with Chardonnay from Oger, etc). It means that I have several hundreds of different 'clear wines' to taste. For each of our cuvées and according to each style, I must identify the wines before the final blend. It means projecting yourself four years ahead when the wine will be ready after ageing. It is the savoir-faire of the House. I am the final decision-maker but am working with a small team.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrand Siècle is a blend of many different vintages and a very special cuvée – could you tell us more about this wine and the stages of its development?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn 1959, Bernard de Nonancourt launched Grand Siècle, his prestige cuvée, the quintessence of the art of blending. He concentrated on two essential components of traditional champagne savoir-faire. The careful blending of the greatest crus and of wines from three particularly outstanding harvests declared as vintage years by Laurent-Perrier. In a word: 'The best of the best with the best'!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou were made Cellar Master in 2004 – over the lifetime of your career what have been your greatest moments in the job to date and who has influenced you most in your career? \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWorking alongside Bernard de Nonancourt, and having his trust has been the highlight of my career. But I spent 30 years as deputy to the previous cellar master, Alain Terrier, who taught me everything. The period between 1975-1985 was a happy time. There were a lot of changes in practises and evolution in our job, particularly in the technique of maceration of Pinot Noir and extracting all its aromas for our Cuvée Rosé Laurent-Perrier. It was all very exciting.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are your top three Champagne vintages of the last 50 years and why?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1995: Perfect balance between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, typical of Laurent-Perrier style for our blends. 1990: Atypical year, superb for its Chardonnay. 1976: Another atypical year with both quality and maturity, despite a small yield.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Maximilien Bernardeau, Chef de Cave Laurent-Perrier\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-PerrierMaximilienBernardeauChefdeCave_1024x1024.png?v=1707026047\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaximilien Bernardeau, Chef de Cave Laurent-Perrier from 2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaximilien Bernardeau was appointed Cellar Master (Chef de Cave) and Head of Wines for the Laurent-Perrier Group in July 2023. Bernardeau will continue to report to the retiring Chef de Cave, Michel Fauconnet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Laurent-Perrier group brings together the houses of Laurent-Perrier in Tours-sur-Marne, Salon and Delamotte in Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Champagne de Castellane in Épernay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBernardeau holds a degree in cell biology and plant physiology. He obtained his DNO (National Diploma of Oenologist) in 2008 at the University of Dijon. He worked briefly in Burgundy before joining Sofralab as a consultant oenologist in Champagneore working for the company Sofralab as a consultant oenologist in Aube and then Marne, where he acquired in-depth experience in the cultivation of vines and Champagne winemaking. He joined Maison Laurent-Perrier in January 2023.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLucie Pereyre\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-PerrierLuciePereyredeNonancourt_1024x1024.png?v=1707030119\" alt=\"Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt, Laurent-Perrier\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eLucie Pereyre de Nonancourt, Alexandra's eldest daughter, joined Laurent-Perrier in September 2019. Lucie represents Grand Siècle around the world and trains with the Chef de Cave, the production teams and the sales teams, as part of Laurent-Perrier's innovative approach.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"During COVID (just after she joined \u003cspan\u003eLaurent-Perrier) \u003c\/span\u003eI took advantage of the time to both learn about the history of our House and to work in the vineyards with our team - to really understand the origin of our story, our values, and our role towards nature. I also spent time with our Cellar Master to really get a good understanding of our special approach to winemaking, especially for Grand Siècle as it requires more precision and specific know-how.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first year was mostly about learning. It is still the case today as I am learning new things every day, but now I have the even greater challenge of explaining the secrets behind the creation of Grand Siècle to our different markets. My goal is to make people see how unique Grand Siècle is among the other prestige cuvées.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy role has also evolved and I increasingly participate in the vins clairs tastings throughout the year, especially when doing the assemblage of Grand Siècle, which I find a truly extraordinary experience.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following text is taken from an interview with Lucie Pereyre \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ethat appeared in The Champagne Club\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescribe yourself in a few sentences!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy name is Lucie Pereyre, I am the 4th generation family member at Champagne Laurent-Perrier and my role is to represent Grand Siècle, our prestige cuvée, worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat I love about my work is that I am able to work with different department within the company, like the vineyard, the winery, the marketing and the commercial department. It is very polyvalent and this is what I enjoyed the most.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow did you get into the champagne profession?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven if I was born within a Champagne family, it was not obvious for me to join and I always had the freedom to choose my own path.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI discovered my passion for wine late in my studies. This is when I decided to fully study wine by getting my WSET diploma and to work in a Spanish winery. Inspired and strengthened by these experiences, I joined the family business in 2019 to train with our Cellar Master Michel Fauconnet, the Production and Salesforce teams, to be part of the innovative know-how of Laurent-Perrier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSince Your Champagne company started, how many chef de caves have Your company had?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust to remind you Laurent-Perrier has belonged to my family since 1939. Since then, we only had 3 cellar masters. What is incredible is that our current cellar master arrived at 21 years old in 1973 and worked closely with the 2 previous ones, which is completely unique nowadays. It has allowed us to preserve our know-how and consistency in style, while always looking for more innovation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow would You describe Your 'house\/producer style' and how do You achieve it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince the beginning, it has been very clear to my grandfather that he would do things differently. He was a visionary man and creativity was his state of mind. That is why he decided to favor the Chardonnay when this grape was not the most used in Champagne. He was the first one to bring stainless tanks in 1973 within an oak-barrel region, because he wanted to adopt a reductive winemaking style and he was among the first to elaborate a zero dosage champagne to reveal the purity of the terroir. Since then we have raised the quality of our supply, we are continuously improving our production techniques and increased our ageing time on lees to obtain the style we have today: a style defined by its freshness, its elegance and its purity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat role do grape varieties play in creating your style?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll of our wines, except our two rosés, have a majority of Chardonnay completed by Pinot Noir. The Chardonnay grape gives us the freshness, the citrus aromas and the long ageing potential we are looking for and the Pinot Noir brings us an elegant structure and a lot of complex aromas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003eWhat do You think of the current trend of 'terroir champagnes' made of single parcels?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eIt is important to reveal the purity of the terroir and its distinctive characteristics. However, at Laurent-Perrier we think that it is possible to get a better result by blending those parcels for their complementarity to reach a more complex wine. We know our parcels and what they can give, and depending on the vintage and their expression we will define the right proportion for each of them into the final blend to obtain the perfect balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe best example of this work is Grand Siècle, our emblematic cuvée. Because what we do to obtain it, is to make a rigorous selection among the parcels within 11 Grands Crus. Every parcel has its own identity that we want to capture and preserve before using it into the final blend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2020 was a very special year. What’s Your idea of the near future for Champagne in general? \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2020, the COVID and the lockdown were really not expected and it was not easy. But, despite this situation, the winegrowers maintained their work in the vineyard as the Nature was not waiting for us. Moreover, the following year was not an easy one either. Everyone had to be very flexible and realized how much the climate change was affecting seriously our work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think it all confirmed this general move to go towards more sustainability.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe already have a big purpose as a whole region to reduce our carbon impact by 2050, and reach by 2030, 100% of the producers to obtain the VDC certification (Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne). And then, individually, we are trying to do efforts wherever we can to protect our Nature and Terroir.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhich Champagne would you treat a dream guest, and why?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI would like to treat my grandfather by sharing with him the first Iteration of Grand Siècle, made out of blend of 1952, 1953 and 1955. It would be the perfect opportunity to tell him how proud I am to represent his very first innovation that still remain unique today: a blend of 3 exceptional vintages to recreate the perfect oenological year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the winery\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-Perrier_1024x1024.png?v=1707032330\" alt=\"Domaine Laurent-Perrier\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFounded in 1812 and sold in over 160 countries worldwide, Laurent-Perrier is one of Champagne’s leading Houses. The brand’s modern-day success is owed, in large part, to the enduring work of Bernard de Nonancourt, who joined the company in 1948. But the House’s story started well over a century prior, long before it was called Laurent-Perrier. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Champagne house was founded in 1812 by a former cask maker named André Michel Pierlot., who\u003cspan\u003e settled in Tours‑sur‑Marne as a champagne wine merchant. It was here in this Grand Cru village, located at the crossroads of the three main vineyards, that he founded what was to become Maison Laurent‑Perrier.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen Pierlot died he was succeeded by his son Alphonse. As Alphonse Pierlot had no descendants, he passed the company on to his cellar master Eugène Laurent. Eugène Laurent died prematurely in a cellar accident in 1887, and his widow Mathilde-Emilie Perrier took over the reins of the company. She added her surname to that of Eugène Laurent to give the House the name Veuve Laurent‑Perrier. Eugénie-Hortense Laurent succeeded her mother in 1925 but struggled to keep it afloat during the Great Depression and sold the failing Champagne House to Marie-Louise de Nonancourt in 1939.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarie-Louise de Nonancourt\u003c\/span\u003e came from a long line of Champagne makers and bought the house to provide a future in the industry for her sons Maurice and Bernard. During World War II, both Maurice and Bernard fought occupying German forces in the French Resistance. Maurice, the elder of the two, was captured by the German army and tragically died in a concentration camp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1944, after the liberation of Paris, Bernard served as a sergeant in the French Army’s 2nd Armored Division and \u003cspan\u003epersonally liberated Hitler’s private wine cellar\u003c\/span\u003e. His unit was the first to arrive at the Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler’s 'Eagle’s Nest' in the Bavarian Alps and after blowing their way through several armored steel doors they discovered a stash of over 500,000 bottles of wine, including hundreds of cases of first-growth Bordeaux, vintage Champagnes, and aged Cognacs. De Nonancourt was later awarded the Croix de Guerre for his wartime service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter returning from the war in 1945, Bernard de Nonancourt returned to Champagne eager to start work in the family business. His mother didn't give him a job at Laurent-Perrier, instead, she sent him on an intensive three-year apprenticeship at Lanson and Delamotte to learn from the ground up. He worked in the vineyards, the cellar and the office, and even spent some time on the road selling Champagne. In 1948, at the age of 28, de Nonancourt was appointed CEO of Laurent-Perrier. De Nonancourt \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eheld the position for 57 years, semi-retiring in 2005.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt the time of his appointment, the company employed around twenty people and sold 80,000 bottles a year. Under his leadership, de Nonancourt, affectionately referred to as 'Le Grand Bernard' by his peers, increased Laurent-Perrier’s sales a hundred-fold and helped the brand become one of the world’s leading Champagne houses. \u003c\/span\u003eBernard de Nonancourt developed a unique range of champagnes and created the Laurent‑Perrier style - freshness, elegance and purity. To do this, its blends were driven by a higher-than-normal percentage of Chardonnay grapes, the least-planted and most expensive in the region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1996, \u003cspan\u003ede Nonancourt took his first step back from the business, engaging an outsider Jean-François Bauer as its president-directeur general. Bauer’s 'commercial expertise' was brought in to 'underpin the financial stability of the company and secure its future as a family business until de Nonancourt’s daughters were ready to take over the business.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe house today is run by Bernard’s two daughters, Stéphanie Meneux de Nonancourt and Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt. Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt, Alexandra's eldest daughter, joined Laurent-Perrier in September 2019 and is the ambassador for Grand Siècle, the House's unique prestige cuvée based on a blend of 3 exceptional vintages.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Lucie says of her grandfather Bernard, \"\u003c\/span\u003eHe first began to define the style of champagne he wanted to produce based on freshness, elegance and finesse. In order to obtain this, he chose Chardonnay as the main grape variety while everyone else was giving preference to Pinot Noir; opted for a vinification without any oxygen when the other houses were using oak barrels; and lowered the dosage at a time when Champagne was served at dessert and was indeed quite sweet. That was then very innovative. He applied this innovation to all the cuvées he created subsequently, including the Grand Siècle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChâteau de Louvois\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUntil 1989 the de Nonancourt family lived at the winery and cellars at Tour-sur-Marne. In need of more space to run the business, they decided to move to the chic Château de Louvois three miles away and close to the grand cru village of Bouzy, The château had been built by Michel Le Tellier, Louis the XIV’s chancellor, who also oversaw the building of the Palais de Versailles. He managed to convince the palace’s famous garden designer André Le Nôtre to landscape Louvois as well.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eLe Nôtre’s symmetrical gardens, his orangerie (with its original Mansard roof) and the two grand fountains nestle in woodland behind a walled figure-of-eight terrace. Beautifully calm and understated, it is, perhaps, a little like Grand Siècle itself.\"  \u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSimon Field MW\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-PerrierChateaudeLouvois2_1024x1024.png?v=1707053432\" alt=\"Château de Louvois\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45517297156337,"sku":null,"price":79.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Laurent-Perrier-Brut-La-Cuvee-NV_d5b43893-7213-4340-9d7c-d26ae789a765.jpg?v=1726204120"}],"url":"https:\/\/canterburywines.au\/collections\/laurent-perrier-champagne.oembed","provider":"Canterbury Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}