Long known as a house of Chardonnay, Laurent-Perrier recently crafted its first ever blanc de blancs, which saw the light of day in May this year.
In line with current fashion, Chef de Cave Michel Fauconnet went for the brut nature style. But his was not just another bone-dry Champagne. The house has mastered brut nature (or Ultra Brut as they call it) since 1981, and the new Blanc de Blanc Nature follows the same recipe of top origin of grapes complemented by extensive ageing to enable no added sugar.
Fort he first iteration, Fauconnet went for a combination of the fresh and elegant 2013 vintage and the classy and harmonious 2012 vintage. These were complimented by some 20% of the reserve wines from the supple and rich 2009. The origin of the Chardonnay can be traced down to both the Côte des Blancs (Avize, Cramant, Oiry, Chouilly) and the Montagne de Reims (Tours-sur-Marne, Villers- Marmery, Rilly La Montagne).
The nose is promising in its layered age-complexed tones. Here, L-P:s hallmark classy whiffs of toast meet delicate floral fragrancy. Underneath, there is bright lemony fruitiness with hints of rich butter and butterscotch characters. Still, the palate is what really impresses with its fine creaminess combined too an amazing acid line and linearity. The finish is purely fruity and feisty with a mineral bite cleansing the palate. 90 points, with potential for 92.