Winemaker Notes
Located in the heart of Reims and facing the Cathedral, the Clos Lanson is the secret garden of the Maison. This historic one-hectare plot only produces a very limited number of bottles each year. The very chalky soil and the microclimate enjoyed by the Clos Lanson allow it to develop complex notes. Its rarity and exceptional aromas make it a precious wine.
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Founded in 1760, Lanson is one of the oldest Champagne Houses.
Drawing on family heritage and unique expertise, the men and women of Lanson have been guided for 260 years by their love of a job well done and their love for others.
The unique and authentic style of Lanson Champagnes rests on four immutable pillars: a meticulous selection of Crus; a vinification according to the traditional Champagne principle; a rare collection of reserve wines, and a longer aging in cellars.
Hervé Dantan, Lanson Winemaker, carefully crafts elegant wines, that are characterized by an inimitable freshness, fruitiness and vitality.
Lanson Champagnes bring people together. They are made to be gifted and shared with our cherished ones. The Lanson Cross, carefully marked on each bottle, is timelessly emblematic of this philosophy.
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.’
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.