I was in Champagne a couple of weeks ago and organised a tasting with Thierry Laherte and his son Aurélien.
The Lahertes practice bio-dynamic viticulture and they are about half way into an 11 years process that will see all their vineyards certified as bio-dynamic, but already the results are outstanding. To say their champagnes are superb would be an understatement - they are quite simply some of the best I've ever tasted. The non-vintage we started with was a revelation in terms of the power of the aromas and depth of flavour, but this was only the first of 8 champagnes we tasted that night.
The one I really wanted to tell you about is Le Clos...
Is it the oldest champagne in the world? Well in one sense NO, but in another YES
Many of you know that there are 3 grape varieties used in Champagne : Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and most people believe that these are the only three varieties that can be used, but that's not quite right. You see there were originally several more grape varieties approved in Champagne, it's just that the others have fallen out of favour and haven't been used to make champagne for decades, even centuries.
Back in 2003 Thierry decided to see if he could replant some of these old varieties and make a champagne the way it used to taste 250 or more years ago .
The result is a stunning champagne called Le Clos the first bottles of which were released earlier this year- that in itself is an interesting insight into the time scales involved in making champagne: 3 years to produce a decent crop of grapes, then several more years to make the champagne and let it age before you can sell a single bottle. It's not a job for the impatient and those chasing a quick return.
Le Clos is named after a small plot of vineyard , a parcelle, near the village of Chavot where the Laherte family lives. The plot is planted with
14% Pinot Noir
18% Chardonnay
18% Pinot Meunier and
17% Pinot Blanc
15% Petit Meslier
10% Fromenteau
8% Arbanne
I brought home a single precious bottle which I'll be opening and sharing with friends very soon, so after a second tasting, I'll be able to tell you more about this exceptional champagne and more about these old grapes varieties and lots more too.
I just love discovering people like the Laherte family and their superb champagnes - they don't have the glitz and glamour of the big international brands it's true, but they have something else : a quiet passion and a determination to produce champagnes that are the absolute best they they can achieve- it's real privilege to get to know them and their champagnes.
If this sort of thing gives you a buzz too then let me tell you that Laherte will be just one of the champagnes featured in the new Champagne Club that I will be launching in early 2010. If you'd like to discover this and more superb champagnes from small growers, then register your interest by going here.
http://bit.ly/champagneclubThere's no commitment involved in just registering, but places will be limited so, if this is for you, go there now.
That's it for now, so have a wonderful Christmas holiday and
Stay Bubbly
Jiles
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