2014 Laherte Frères Blanc de Blancs Les Grandes Crayères, Champagne

After the Brut Nature, this stunning new(ish) Champagne is Aurélien Laherte’s second Blanc de Blancs bottling. Les Grandes Crayeres showcases Laherte’s two most mineral soils in Côteaux Sud d'Épernay. These parcels of 40-plus-year-old Massale selection are situated on a west-facing hillside composed of Campanian chalk with very little topsoil. The base wine is fermented wild in old barrels, aged three to ten years old, and does not go through malo. Grandes Crayères then spent 30 months on lees in bottle, and a further nine months resting after disgorgement before commercial release. Dosage is 3-4 g/L and this bottling was hand disgorged in February 2018. The Galloni notes sums it up well.

Here in its first release, the 2014 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Grandes Crayères is another fabulous wine from Aurelien Laherte. Powerful in the glass, the 2014 possesses striking textural depth and resonance. This is an especially potent, structured expression of Chardonnay. I loved it. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: February 2018.