Although originally founded in 1812, the name Champagne Laurent-Perrier was not conceived until 1964. It was Bernard de Nonancourt who initiated Laurent-Perrier's rise to world fame. One of Champagne's most important figures in the 20th century, he officially took over in 1948 after a three-year apprenticeship at the Houses of Delamotte and Lanson. In his 62-year tenure, production grew from 80,000 bottles annually to over eight million. Under de Nonancourt, Laurent-Perrier were the first House to use stainless-steel vats and the first House to create both a zero dosage champagne (Ultra Brut) and a multi-vintage prestige cuvée (Grand Siècle). Sadly, de Nonancourt passed away in 2010 and Laurent-Perrier is now managed by his two daughters, Alexandra and Stéphanie alongside Cellar Master Michel Fauconnet and has become one of the region's largest producers, they are perhaps best known for Cuvée Rosé, the most recognised rosé champagne on the planet.

In opting to blend its Brut NV champagne with a majority of Chardonnay, Laurent-Perrier is expressing its difference and asserting the signature ‘House’ style of freshness, lightness, and elegance. The La Cuvée blend was launched in autumn 2017 replacing the previous NV. The aim with the new blend was to increase the Chardonnay content and make a champagne with lightness and elegance from the Chardonnay yet not lose some of the structure and fruit of the Pinot Noir and Meunier. A fascinating champagne resulted, the wonderful fruit and lightness of Chardonnay with quite a lot of that creamy texture and underneath you see the structure of the red grapes; lightness and elegance perfectly sums up this champagne.

News Article: Read more about the history of Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée NV here.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: More than 100 Crus
Grape Varieties: Over 50% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 10-20% Meunier
Reserve Wine: 20-30%
Ageing: 4 years on the lees
Dosage: 9 g/l
Drink: Now for 5+ years

Tasting Note: A pale gold with soft bubbles and persistent mousse. On the nose bright with citrus notes, the palate is complex but delicate, white fruits and peaches throughout with hints of citrus and bold fruits until the finish.