Southern French rose has a well earnt reputation for being the world's standard bearer when it comes to dry, light bodied pale coloured wines. This one ticks all the boxes of a great year round refresher. Its beautiful packaging just adds to the delicious allure. 

One of the great pink champagnes, combining toasted red fruit flavours and the freshness of a great, complex wine with long lees ageing. Delicious. 

Champagne Laurent-Perrier was founded in 1812 by Andre Michel Pierlot and took the name Laurent-Perrier when Mathilde Emilie Perrier, the widow of Eugene Laurent, combined the two family names after she decided to expand the business.

Eugenie Hortense Laurent, her daughter, inherited the House in 1925 and sold it to Marie-Louise Lanson de Nonancourt in 1939.

Laurent-Perrier Brut NV is enjoyed for its creamy softness which comes from Chardonnay, the dominant grape in this elegant sparkling wine.

The Laurent-Perrier Champagne house was founded in 1812 and is the main company of the Laurent-Perrier Group, whose other flagship brands include the houses of Salon, De Castellane and Delamotte. Laurent-Perrier Group also acquired Chateau Malakoff in 2004.

Tasting notes:

Brilliant garnet red color. The nose reveals nice aromas of ripe fruits (strawberry, blackberry) with delicate coffee notes. Harmonious and elegant on the palate, offering a round structure, full of red and black berries.

Food matches:

Red meat, poultry, pasta and cheese.

Winemaking: Optimum ripeness of the grapes - de-stalking and crushing of the grapes – a part of the harvest benefits from a “flash détente” process to enhance an optimum level of color and fruity aromas – the other part follows a traditional alcoholic fermentation in vats with 2 rack and return per day.

Soil: Coming from different regions of the Languedoc (The Aude, the Herault and the Gard) where each offers a different type of soil (schist, marls, chalk and clay).
Climate: The hot and windy Mediterranean climate, along with the interesting diversity in the soils of these 3 areas, result in powerful and fruity wines.
Aging: Long maceration (3 weeks) with micro oxygenation before malolactic fermentation in vats to develop the color and to supple the tannins.

Grape Variety : Chardonnay and Chardonnay Muscaté

Soil : Clay, chalk and marl

Site : In the heart of the Mâcon wine growing region, South of Burgundy. The two villages Viré and Clessé form a unique "terroir" on slopes facing South-East. In Viré, the soil is chalky with large layers of clay. In Clessé , the soil structure is slightly different with a combination of chalk and clay mixed with liasic marls combined with
oyster- fossils which convey to the wine a specific minerality.This is one of the best white wines of the region combining suppleness and minerality.

The Vintage 2019 : After a mild winter, spring settled down with important variations of temperatures and abundant rain which engendered millerandage (small berries). Summer was warm punctuated by several heat waves and a few thunderstorms épisodes which brought some water. The harvest started mid september under a bright sunshine. After a mild pressing, the wines are aged in oak casks for a period of 12 up to 14 months in our XVth century cellar.

Tasting : Pale gold colour. Rrefreshing floral fragrances mixed with white and yellow orchard fruit on a hint of minerality. Well-balanced and precise.Refreshing finish with lemony tinges Food pairing : A fine, dry apéritif, great with light seafood and raw vegetable hors d'oeuvres.

100% Chardonnay from a region just to the southwest of Chablis, where there is still a fair bit of the much loved Kimmeridgean limestone, which gives the wines in this area the freshness and energy they are famous for. Lots of lime and lemon with just a touch of the exotic on the finish.

Since planting their first vineyards in 1987, Jean and Catherine Montanet have been one of the main forces behind the revitalization of Vezelay as a wine region. Domaine Montanet-Thoden started as a “cave cooperative” but in 1999 Jean broke out of the cooperative and formed Domaine de la Cadette to create the best possible basis for making unvarnished wines that best reflect the terroir of Vezelay.

Today, the family runs three separate companies that produce wines according to the same basic principles (see also Domaine de la Cadette and La Soeur Cadette). Domaine Montanet-Thoden is owned by Catherine Montanet and Tom Thoden, but today the wines are made by his son Valentin, who continues the philosophy that was founded by his parents: organic work in the vineyards, minimal intervention in the cellar, zero fining or filtration and an absolute minimal addition of sulphur when bottling.

This is elegant and affordable Pinot Noir from northern Burgundy with a distinct mineral streak.

Produced in the Maconnais region of Burgundy, Macon-Villages is vinified with no oak contact to retain the elegant aromas and clean, fresh character that this region is prized for. The vineyard soils have a high percentage of chalk and limestone which impart nuanced minerality.

GRAPES:
100% Chardonnay

TASTE:
This wine shows floral, apple and citrus aromas with fresh, clean flavours and mineral notes.

PAIRING:
Perfect as an aperitif or with shellfish, crab cakes or goat cheese.

DISTINCTION:
Clean and vibrant unoaked Chardonnay.

From Domaine Chanson...

Grape Variety : Pinot Noir

Soil : Gravel mixed with clay

Site : On the Mont Battois hillside, facing Beaune, the name "Grèves" derives from the sandy and gravely soil. Separated from the Clos des Fèves by a narrow path this Chanson vineyard covers 2 hectares

The Vintage 2022 : After a winter characterized by marked variations in temperature between January and February, spring started with mild temperatures. A sequence of cold weather in April was followed by warm temperatures in May but the lack of water was very noticeable and could not be compensated by the rainy storms of June. Summer was marked by several and long heat waves and the storms of the end of August were most welcome. The harvest at Chanson started on August 30 with a team of 100 persons and ended on September 13. 2022 vintage was quite generous both in volume and quality and the red wines are generous and well-balanced with an outstanding crunchy fruit.

Tasting : Bright ruby colour. Fragrances of peony mixed with intense aromas of ripe red berries (strawberry, cherry) mixed with coffee and spicy notes. Delicate vanilla. Well-balanced and complex. Deep and refined texture. Elegant and well-integrated oak note, well-shaped tannins. Long and spicy finish. Scores : 93/100 Jasper Morris/Inside Burgundy - 16,5+/100 Jancis Robinson

Food pairing : It is perfectly matched with red meat grilled or en sauce, and all cheeses, especially the local cheeses like Epoisses or Citeaux.

A rich and complete Premier Cru Pinot Noir from Volnay in Burgundy. Clos de la Barre is a Monopole (i.e. exclusively owned by Jadot). Grown in a real clos that is surrounded by high stone walls, it produces a more assertive wine than other Volnays, with ethereal spice and mineral tannins detailed amongst slightly richer, riper fruit. With serious character, this powerful and structured wine is built to improve with age. This is a superb offering from Louis Jadot.

The 2022 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru has more mineralité on the nose than some of its peers: crushed limestone filtering through the malic scents and a slight algae-like aroma. The palate is well-balanced with a keen thread of acidity, seductive orange pith and citrus notes. The 2022 has a composed and harmonious finish. This is a well-made and delicious Vaillons.

— 90 points, Antonio Galloni - Vinous