We always remain on the eternal search for great non-vintage value when it comes to Champagne. After all, those are the bottles one tends to choose to kick off long evenings of celebration, or indeed something to pop as midweek comfort when those long work weeks come around. This search can often end up feeling more intensive than with the premium vintage releases at higher price points, as the signature styles, aging regimes and blending beliefs among producers can strike as either subtle or substantial depending on the drinker; some prefer freshness and subtlely, while others will gravitate towards broader power. Just as with any group of wine lovers, our team can offer an entire range of thoughts and feelings when we each taste a bottle of bubbles - so when those opinions align and become unanimous on one bottle in particular, we know we've found something worth raving about for a Champagne Monday.
No more appropriately can that apply in recent days than with the marvelously valued La Cuvée Brut NV from Laurent-Perrier, which in the eyes of our beloved champagne consultant Bernadette O'Shea, stands tall as the 'best non-vintage champagne on the planet' right now (you can find her note in full below!)
LP are certainly a house that have taken our attention for several newsletters in past months, and we believe that is no less than deserved - a name that continues to build on what came before with cuvées of depth and detail, that in many cases shine well above their respective price levels. The La Cuvée is one that manages to balance a sense of zingy citric acidity and chalky finesse, without forgoing midpalate weight and appropriate structural power. This is in no small part due to the four years it spent on lees before disgorgement, and its 2019 base vintage; a year that is looking better and better each time we return to it. Upon popping, one will find glowing aromas of white apple blossom and primrose, before a palate that brings lemon sherbert and ginger mixed with roasted macadamia nuts, buttery creaminess and fresh brioche. It doubles as a wonderful apéritif option, while holding the ample body to stand up well with food (we're thinking asian cuisine, poultry or white fish).
Available in both regular bottles and magnums, with both down at striking specials for the coming week!
Bottles of Laurent-Perrier hanging from their riddling racks beneath the central château - just one of the many rooms one will find within their sprawling 11-kilometre network of chalk cellars below Tours-sur-Marne.
Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut NV
$89 on special this week ($99 RRP)
// 55% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier
2019 base vintage (with up to 30% reserve wines from previous vintages)
Aged 4 years on lees + one year bottle rest before disgorgement
8g/L dosage
"This is a perfectly structured champagne, and glows with beauty and class. It has a base wine of 2019 - an amazing vintage. There is 70% of '19, and 30% of older years from reserve wines, with grapes sourced from 90–100 crus; remarkable for a non-vintage champagne. There is an emphasis on Chardonnay with 55%, complemented by 35% Pinot Noir and 10% Meunier. This is the wine’s identity - its holdings of Chardonnay, delivering the freshness, precision and elegance for which the House is known. LP uses the cuvée fraction during the pressing, which is the best section that gives the purest juice. Other houses only use this for their vintage wines, but LP bless their non vintage champagne with it, highlighting the refined and crisp profile. The pristine Chardonnay contributes significantly to the wine’s finesse, aromatic purity and aging potential. It is a greatly poised between complexity and generosity, and the acid balance is extremely precise, showing refinement and quiet sophistication that sneaks up on you. Following primary vinification, the wine spends up to, and sometimes over 4 years aging on lees in the cellar, afterwards applying their distinctive post-disgorgement philosophy of allowing the bottle an additional 12 months of rest under cork before public release. This maturation is particularly important, as it allows the dosage, mousse and structural elements of the wine to integrate fully before reaching the consumer. The La Cuvée opens up with scents of citrus blossom, white apple blossom, primroses and pale lemon roses. The palate shines with white peach and nectarine, lemon zest, hints of lime and green apple. There is a layer of macadamia nuts with flicks of ginger and tarragon, followed by some lemon butter on fresh brioche. You then find a suggestion of new raspberries and lemon sherbet, all covered with a fine grating of chalk, displaying bright radiance through the finish. With its composition and blending, this is indeed the best non-vintage champagne on the planet!" - Bernadette O'Shea, Champagne Consultant, The Wine Emporium
Magnums also available & on special -
La Cuvée NV MAGNUM 1500ml
$205 on special this week ($235 RRP)
If you wish to purchase this champagne, please use the link above
Otherwise, if you have any questions, please contact us on (07)32521117 or email sales@thewineemporium.com.au
// Special price valid until Monday the 6th of July