Laherte Freres Extra Brut Les 7, Champagne

Limited release. Disgorged December 2021. This is one of the most distinctive wines made in Champagne—a super-complex, fleshy and savoury (peppery, nutty) wine that is as delicious as it is fascinating. Les 7 is a single-parcel field blend from a plot in Chavot, planted by Thierry Laherte in 2003 to make use of the heirloom vines of Fromenteau, Arbanne and Petit Meslier already growing within the family’s oldest vineyard plots. The addition of Chardonnay and Pinots Noir, Meunier and Blanc has made a unique co-planting of all seven allowed grape varieties of Champagne.
 
The varieties were harvested and pressed together, all fermentation was natural, and the wine was produced using a perpetual (or continuous) reserve, stretching back to 2005. Each year the blend is roughly 60% of the new vintage wine (2018 for this bottling) with 40% of the reserve, and so this release spans the harvests of 2005 to 2018. If you are interested in Champagnes with a genuine personality, this is a wine not to be missed. Disgorged by hand with no dosage.

Previous release

The NV Extra Brut Les 7 is a blend of the seven authorized grapes in Champagne, co-fermented, done in a perpetual reserve style that goes back to 2005. It is one of the most intriguing wines in the range. Citrus, orchard fruit and floral notes abound as this crystalline, taut Champagne reveals its stunning beauty. Les 7 is finished with no dosage, but there is more than enough natural richness to keep the wine in balance. I loved it.

94 points Antonio Galloni vinous.com