Champagne Laherte Freres Les Sept NV

Les 7 is made from a single plot in Chavot that was co-planted with all possible seven grape varieties of Champagne in 2003 (interestingly the same year Pascal Agrapart planted his Complantée vineyard). The parcel was planted by Laherte, making use of the heirloom vines Fromenteau, Arbanne, Petit Meslier already growing within the family's oldest vineyard plots. These seven varieties are harvested and pressed together and the wine is produced using a 'perpetual blend' or 'solera' method. The way it works is this: there are seven barrels of reserve wine (another reason for the name) that rests in barriques (10 year old) and every year these barrels are blended with the wine of the new vintage in a tank. The seven barrels are then refilled and what is left over is bottled. The first vintage was 2005 and so we have now had nine vintages added to the perpetual blend. This is not, strictly speaking a solera method (even though that is often how it is described) as it lacks the criadera structure. "Perpetual blend' is the more accurate description. Each year the blend is roughly 60 per cent of the new vintage wine with 40 per cent of the reserve and this release spans the harvests of 2005 to 2010. All fermentation is natural and the dosage is a very low 3gm. To be brief, this is one of the most distinctive wines being made in Champagne - a super complex, fleshy and savoury wine which is as delicious as it is endlessly fascinating. As Peter Liem says below, if you are interested in Champagnes with genuine personality, this is a wine not to be missed.

"One of the most striking wines of the portfolio is Les 7 (formerly labeled as "Les Clos"), a single-vineyard field blend of seven different varieties that are picked and pressed together. The exact composition of the plantings in this parcel are as follows: 10 percent fromenteau, 8 percent arbanne, 14 percent pinot noir, 18 percent chardonnay, 17 percent pinot blanc, 18 percent meunier and 15 percent petit meslier. While the nose is still youthfully restrained, the aromas turn more pungently expressive on the palate, with the cool, cucumbery, almost pine-like character of arbanne and petit meslier prominently present. It's perfectly balanced, underlined by a vibrant note of stony minerality and enlivened by crisp acidity that elongates the flavors on the finish. This is a wine of striking individuality of character, and it's extremely successful in navigating a balance between the assertiveness of the heirloom varieties and the elegant finesse of high-quality champagne. For those intrigued by champagnes of strong personality, it's a wine not to be missed." Peter Liem, champagneguide.net

Country: France
Region: Champagne