PENFOLDS X Thienot Lot 1 175 Blanc de Noirs , Champagne

The origin of the House dates back to 1812, created by André Michel Pierlot, it will take the name of Veuve Laurent-Perrier when Mathilde Emilie Perrier, widow of Eugène Laurent decides to combine the two family names while she ensures the development. Eugénie Hortense Laurent, his daughter, inherited the House in 1925 and sold it to Marie-Louise de Nonancourt, née Lanson, in 1939. Laurent Perrier La Cuvée comes from the purest grape juice and it alone allows Laurent-Perrier to craft La Cuvée, a champagne of great finesse and a beautiful freshness obtained after a long ageing process in our cellars. Laurent-Perrier’s style and personality are defined by its very high proportion of Chardonnay. Purity, freshness and elegance – essential characteristics, expressed in this champagne – are a good introduction to the spirit of the House.

Established in 1836, Madame Pommery is credited with creating the first vintage ‘brut’ style of Champagne in 1874, at a time when most champagnes were excessively sweetened with sugar. This revolutionary dry style set the benchmark for the rest of Champagne and it is in this spirit that the style of Pommery endures; with each cuvée displaying sublime elegance, finesse and freshness. Brut Royal NV has incredible balance and is a cheerful, lively and delicate wine.Pommery is one of the few Champagne houses that produce the large formats in their original bottles, to allow for optimal ageing. The Jeroboam comes individually packed in a timber case.

Leclerc Briant was an early adopter of organic practices beginning in the 1960’s and pioneered the concept of single-vineyard Champagne starting in the 1970’s. Fifth generation vigneron, Pascal Leclerc started to follow biodynamic principles in 1988, with part of the production Demeter certified since 2003. Today, enologist Hervé Jestin continues the legacy of this visionary house. Ten hectares of vineyard spread between the Premier Cru villages of Cumières, Hautvillers, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Bisseuil in the Vallée de la Marne, Villers-Allerand and Rilly la Montagne in Montagne de Reims and the Grand Cru villages of Cramant and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Côte des Blancs. Leclerc Briant also holds long-term contracts with another 8 hectares of biodynamically farmed vineyards. Les Basses Prières is from a single 0.17-hectare plot in the premier cru village of Hautvillers in the Vallée de la Marne. The southeast facing plot is planted to 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay with an average vine age of 40 years. Spontaneous fermentation and aging take place in used 225-liter French oak barriques for 9 months followed by 36 months aging sur lattes. The wine receives a low dosage with just 2 grams per liter of residual sugar. 1,800 bottles produced.