2019 Laherte Freres Les Grandes Crayeres Blanc de Blancs, Champagne

Disgorged November 2022

The 2019 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Grandes Crayères 1er Cru is gorgeous. Bright, focused and vibrant, the 2019 is sourced from two chalky plots in Chavot and sizzles with tension. All the elements are so nicely balanced. I would cellar this for at least a year or two, as it is pretty tightly wound. Dosage is 2.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: November 2022.

93 points Antonio Galloni vinous.com 

After the Brut Nature, this stunning Champagne is Aurélien Laherte’s second Blanc de Blancs bottling. Les Grandes Crayères showcases Laherte’s two most chalky, mineral soils in Coteaux Sud d’Épernay (crayères means chalk). These parcels of 40-plus-year-old mass-selection vines are situated on a west-facing hillside composed of Campanian chalk under 20cm of topsoil.

The base wine was fermented with indigenous yeasts in old barrels (aged three to 10 years) and didn’t go through malolactic conversion, emphasising the wine’s chiselled qualities. It then spent 30 months on lees in bottle and rested a further nine months after disgorgement before release. The dosage was less than 4 g/L, and it was disgorged by hand.

The Laherte Frères Les Grandes Crayères Blanc de Blancs is a striking and terroir-driven Champagne, crafted from Chardonnay grown on chalk-rich soils in Chavot, in the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay. Aurélien Laherte, who leads the family estate, has gained a reputation as one of Champagne’s most innovative grower-producers, farming organically and biodynamically and vinifying with minimal intervention to capture purity and site expression. Les Grandes Crayères is named after the deep chalk subsoils (crayères) that define this vineyard, and the wine reflects their influence in its mineral backbone and crystalline precision.

In the glass it is pale gold with fine, persistent bubbles. The bouquet is lifted and elegant, showing citrus zest, white peach and green apple layered with chalk, almond, brioche and delicate florals. On the palate it is taut and focused, with vibrant orchard and citrus fruit flavours carried by racy acidity and a pronounced mineral edge. Subtle savoury notes from oak élevage add texture and depth, while the finish is long, saline and precise, showcasing the power of pure chalk soils.

Food pairings highlight its elegance and minerality: freshly shucked oysters, caviar, seared scallops, Dover sole with lemon butter, or a simple goat’s cheese tart. It also shines with triple-cream cheeses like Brillat-Savarin. With 10 to 15 years of cellaring potential, it develops complexity, gaining honeyed, nutty and toasty layers while maintaining freshness and drive.