Laherte Freres Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature NV

Limestone soils and sometimes with a presence of fine silts and chalk in surface. Chalky subsoils.

Traditional, done in a sustainable way and influenced by ecological methods. Vines are over 30 years old.

50% 2015, 50% reserve wines (2013 and 2014); grapes are picked by hand when fully ripe, and traditionally pressed. Alcoholic fermentation in foudres and barrels with regular stirring of the lees. Malolactic fermentation partly made.

Aged for 6 months followed by a light filtration before bottling during the spring time; non-dosé. Disgorgement: Janaury 2018

From the family's chalkiest soils in Chavot and Epernay comes this racy and finesseful Blancs de Blancs. This is a thirst quencher AND a wine for the Champagne congnescenti!

The Laherte Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature is one of the purest Chardonnay expressions coming from the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay and one of the estate's most emblematic cuvées.

Terroir Notes: Laherte Frères Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature is made from their best parcels of Chardonnay located on the south slopes of Épernay and Chavot. The vines are over 30 years old, and the vineyards are comprised mostly of limestone with some fine silts and chalk on the surface. 50% of this wine is comprised of reserve wines of past years kept in barrels.

Winemaking Notes: Grapes are picked by hand and traditionally pressed. Fermentation takes place is foudres and barrels with regular stirring of the lees. Some of the wine goes through malolactic fermentation. Wine is aged for 6 months followed by light filtration before bottling in the spring. Bottles are disgorged by hand. No dosage is added.

Disgorged in November 2019, the NV Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs is showing nicely, mingling aromas of lemon oil, white flowers, crushed chalk and verbena. Medium to full-bodied, bright and chalky, it's elegant and precise, with a pretty core of fruit, racy but integrated acids and a bright, mineral finish.

The NV Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs marries power with energy to a degree I have not seen before here. In this edition, the Brut Nature is decidedly powerful and broad, with less of the tension seen in some previous releases. It's as if all the Chardonnay flavors have been turned up to the maximum. Orange peel, apricot, chamomile and spice are some of the many notes that fill out the layers. The current release is based on 2017, with reserve wines from 2016 and 2015, all done in neutral oak. Zero dosage. Disgorged: February, 2020.

Aurélien Laherte’s current release of Blanc de Blancs non-vintage Brut Nature hails from the superb base year of 2015, with half of the blend made up of reserve wines from the previous two years. As is customary for him, he ages his vins clairs for fully six months in barrel prior to blending and bottling for aging on their fine lees. The new Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature is lovely, wafting from the glass in a mix of pear, apple, a touch of almond, chalky soil tones, bread dough and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and beautifully balanced, with good acids, elegant mousse and impressive length and grip on the classy finish. Aurélien Laherte picks his grapes at greater ripeness level for this bottling, which gives excellent depth of fruit to buffer the acids in this non-dosé wine.2019-2040+.

Wine advocate 90pts

Vinous 91pts

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90pts Disgorged in November 2018, the NV Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs is showing nicely, mingling aromas of lemon oil, white flowers, crushed chalk and verbena. Medium to full-bodied, bright and chalky, it's elegant and precise, with a pretty core of fruit, racy but integrated acids and a bright, mineral finish.\n92\nThe NV Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs marries power with energy to a degree I have not seen before here. In this edition, the Brut Nature is decidedly powerful and broad, with less of the tension seen in some previous releases. It's as if all the Chardonnay flavors have been turned up to the maximum. Orange peel, apricot, chamomile and spice are some of the many notes that fill out the layers. The current release is based on 2017, with reserve wines from 2016 and 2015, all done in neutral oak. Zero dosage. Disgorged: February, 2020.\n91+\nAurélien Laherte’s current release of Blanc de Blancs non-vintage Brut Nature hails from the superb base year of 2015, with half of the blend made up of reserve wines from the previous two years. As is customary for him, he ages his vins clairs for fully six months in barrel prior to blending and bottling for aging on their fine lees. The new Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature is lovely, wafting from the glass in a mix of pear, apple, a touch of almond, chalky soil tones, bread dough and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and beautifully balanced, with good acids, elegant mousse and impressive length and grip on the classy finish. Aurélien Laherte picks his grapes at greater ripeness level for this bottling, which gives excellent depth of fruit to buffer the acids in this non-dosé wine.2019-2040+.\n