Laherte Freres Petit Meslier Extra Brut
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
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Jeb Dunnuck
The pale straw-colored NV Champagne Petit Meslier Extra Brut comes from young vines of this white varietal that were planted in 2012 and 2013, and 10% is the 2019 base vintage. It jumps from the glass with energetic lift, offering up aromas of lemongrass, fennel frond, wet stone, and crunchy apples. Medium-bodied, with a wonderful backbone of concentration, it’s linear and energetic on the palate, with a zesty freshness. It has the bones to handle significant aging but feels as though it will do so at a glacial pace.
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James Suckling
This is quite funky from long lees contact and needs some aeration to blow that off. However, it’s easy to understand why it was made this way, for it needs the creaminess from the lees and kiss of oak to help harmonize the strident green apple-acidity. A touch of lime at the finish. Made 100% from petit meslier, one of the lesser-known grape varieties of Champagne.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Based on the 2018 vintage, with some 40% reserve wines from 2017, the NV Extra-Brut Petit Meslier comes from young vines in Chavot. Offering up generous aromas of pear, honeyed orchard fruit, buttered toast and nuts, it's medium to full-bodied, with an impressively satiny attack for this variety and an unsurprisingly racy spine of acidity. It's more than just a curio.
The fifth generation, that of Michel Laherte, expanded the family estate which then covered about 5 hectares. He married Cécile Tissier, who was born into an 8-child-family. She quickly got used to working in the vineyard and managed to combine her work as a dynamic vinegrower with the education of her two children, Christian and Thierry.
Today, the 11-hectare-vineyard is run by the two Laherte brothers, as well as Thierry’s son, Aurélien. Since 2004, the seventh generation has been giving a new dimension to the estate. Indeed, following in his father’s footsteps, Aurélien understood that the estate’s true philosophy lies in taking time to do things well and being satisfied with naturally ripe and healthy grapes.
Today, all the family members are working hand in hand to preserve this precious Terroir passed on by their forefathers and to try and create wines that are just like them - pure, sincere and authentic.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’