Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle 27 Grande Cuvée, Champagne

Impressively aromatic, showing honeysuckle, violets and lavender with bread dough and just a hint of light caramel as well as dried apples, cooked pears and tarte tatin. Reductive with graphite, stone and iodine. Some chalk too. Full-bodied but not at all heavy, turning almost weightless. Nine years on the lees and 7 g/L dosage give energy, length and form. Goes on for minutes. This will age beautifully but is already fascinating, evolving in the glass. Drink or hold.

99 points James Suckling

Pouring a bright silver-yellow hue, the NV Champagne Grand Siècle Iteration No. 27 is very pretty on the nose, with notes of wet stone, delicate smokiness, apricot, and lavender. Medium-bodied, it’s long on the palate, with silky complexity and pillowy mousse, offering key lime, lemon meringue, green apples, and a salty spice. With its silky, long finish, it reveals a sunny but refined elegance and is a very pretty edition. The complementary vintages are a blend of 2015, 2013, and 2012, with 65% from 2015 and 10% from 2012. The blend is 60/40 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sourced from Mesnil-sur-Oger. Drink 2027-2057. It is less obvious than No. 26, but it has a lot of delicate almond and tertiary nuances hiding underneath.

97 points Audrey Frick for Jeb Dunnuck

Laurent Perrier has been making Champagne in Tours sur Marne since 1812, but Grand Siècle owes its existence to Bernard de Nonancourt, who took control of the house in 1948. His idea was wonderfully contrary: rather than wait for nature to provide the perfect vintage, create one by blending exceptional years together. Grand Siècle was born in 1959 and remains one of Champagne’s most distinctive prestige cuvées.

Iteration No. 27 brings together the 2015, 2013 and 2012 vintages, with 2015 forming the majority of the blend. Chardonnay leads Pinot Noir, with fruit selected from Grand Cru villages including some of the great names of the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims. The three vintages complement one another beautifully, combining the generosity of 2015 with the freshness and structure of the earlier years. Extended ageing on lees adds depth without sacrificing the remarkable energy at its core.

Bright pale gold with an exceptionally fine, persistent bead. Lemon curd, white peach and ripe pear open into grapefruit and preserved citrus, followed by brioche, toasted almond and hazelnut. Acacia, chalk and subtle honey emerge with air, along with ginger and a delicate smoky note. The palate is creamy and expansive yet wonderfully controlled, with citrus and stone fruit wrapped around a silken mousse. Toasted nuts, chalk and saline freshness stretch through a long, intricate finish.

A grand Champagne deserves something special, and butter poached lobster with lemon and chives is difficult to argue with. Hokkaido scallops, turbot with beurre blanc, king crab or a Comté soufflé could happily take its place. Cellaring: Drink now to 2042+.