Champagne Brut
Millésimé Réserve Magnum 2002

The Champagne Millésimé Réserve by Laurent-Perrier is one of the rarest expressions of the Tours-sur-Marne Maison, which declares a Vintage only in truly exceptional years and lets it rest in the cellar for a long time before release. Its character comes from two great Champagne terroirs. Pinot Noir comes from the Grand Cru villages of Ambonnay, Verzy, Mailly, Verzenay and Bouzy on the Montagne de Reims, together with Aÿ, and Chardonnay comes from Avize, Cramant, Oger, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Chouilly in the Côte des Blancs. From these wines the Maison keeps only the very best, for a label that takes its style of finesse, purity and freshness to the highest level. It is released only in magnum, a format that lets it evolve slowly and harmoniously over time.

This edition, Vintage 2002, comes from a steady year with few weather setbacks, marked by a mild winter and low rainfall. Flowering took place in mid-June in very favourable conditions, and unexpected sunshine at the start of the harvest brought healthy, highly ripe grapes. The blend brings together Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes in equal parts, with vinification and fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel, following the Maison’s approach of protecting the fruit and aiming for the greatest aromatic precision. After tirage comes a very long ageing on the lees of around eighteen years, while the final dosage of 6 g/l, in Brut style, quietly supports the complexity the wine has built over the years.

On tasting, Millésimé Réserve 2002 shows a deep gold colour with a fine, creamy perlage. The nose is deep and layered, opening with toasted brioche, acacia honey and dried fruit, then dried apricot, candied citrus and delicate hints of beeswax, over a mineral and lightly spiced background that underlines its complexity. On the palate the attack is dense and enveloping, with the concentration of a great year carried by a still precise acidity that keeps the wine fresh and vibrant. The structure is broad and the mousse silky, and the finish is very long, savoury and chalky, with remarkable persistence and harmony.