NV Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle Les Reserves #20

Subtle chamomile and dried bergamot peel notes appear first on the nose, followed by a lift of lemon and stone. Unusually fragrant, this is clearly evolved but far removed from the usual tertiary flavours of mature Champagne. This is a sublimation of citrus, herb and chalk. The palate has edges of beeswax but with an incredibly sprightly and fine mousse and utter freshness. It is a picture of ageless grace, so zesty, creamy, bright and so very chalky. Lemon shines long on this complete outlier with its profound, light and tonic-like body and uncommonly fragrant nature. Sourced from grands crus only, this Chardonnay-dominant wine is a blend of the 1996, 1997 and 1999 vintages, aged under cork for 21 years and disgorged with a dosage of 7g/L.

Already when I tasted this wine freshly disgorged at Laurent-Perrier 2019, I understood its somewhat unexpected greatness. Today under the Les Réserves label and even slightly later disgorgement with perfectly balanced dosage, this is the most stylistically perfect Grand Siècle ever made. There are a couple of editions that are more monumental and more magnificently impressive, but none that exhibit such perfection in terms of typicity. The wine is simply a dreamlike creation on magnum that is actually characterized more by the reserve wine from 1996 than the majority wine from 1999. Crackling sublime roasting, purity and lime-dominated acidity, but also an explosive euphoric acacia blossom with jasmine splash, linden flower and white chocolate. Of course with an above-earth chalk-scented purity and the sun-dried linen in the early summer wind as a sign

Les Réserves was born when Bernard de Nonancourt's daughter, Lucie Pereyre's mother, found some magnums and jeroboams of Grand Siècle No 17 in the Laurent-Perrier cellar after her father died in 2010 and they wanted to celebrate the house's bicentenary in 2012. This release, available in magnums only, is essentially long-aged Grand Siècle No 20, which was 60% 1999 and roughly 20% apiece of 1997 and 1996. The final blend was 54% Chardonnay, 46% Pinot Noir, made up of eight grands crus. I was lucky enough to taste Laurent-Perrier's vintage champagnes 1999 and 1997 not that long before tasting this blend which is so much more complex and intense – as well as much fresher. Quite a feat! The wine is just this side of toasty but has massive impact and almost suggests some torrefaction. This is extremely vivacious while still being bone dry. Pungent with a hint of caramel but also lime – that's how broad the spectrum of flavours is. Very, very complete. Satisfying, revitalising – what I'd call a sore-throat wine, so intense is its finish. Difficult to see how anyone would be disappointed by this, the essence of Grand Siècle.