Although originally founded in 1812, the name Champagne Laurent-Perrier was not conceived until 1964. It was Bernard de Nonancourt who initiated Laurent-Perrier's rise to world fame. One of Champagne's most important figures in the 20th century, he officially took over in 1948 after a three-year apprenticeship at the Houses of Delamotte and Lanson. In his 62-year tenure, production grew from 80,000 bottles annually to over eight million. Under de Nonancourt, Laurent-Perrier were the first House to use stainless-steel vats and the first House to create both a zero dosage champagne (Ultra Brut) and a multi-vintage prestige cuvée (Grand Siècle). Sadly, de Nonancourt passed away in 2010 and Laurent-Perrier is now managed by his two daughters, Alexandra and Stéphanie alongside Cellar Master Michel Fauconnet and has become one of the region's largest producers, they are perhaps best known for Cuvée Rosé, the most recognised rosé champagne on the planet. Since 2020 Alexandra's daughter, Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt has taken on the global role of Brand Ambassador for Grand Siècle.
The idea of Grand Siècle was born from a simple observation: that nature would never provide the perfect oenological year, but that thanks to the art of assemblage, Laurent-Perrier could in fact create it. Always a blend of three exceptional vintages that perfectly complement each other, Grand Siècle was launched in 1959 as a blend of 1952, 1953 and 1955. One year is chosen for structure, one for finesse and one for freshness, creating a unique combination of power and balance from wines of the very best vintages. The grape juice is fermented in 100% stainless-steel tanks as Laurent-Perrier very much believe in keeping the juice away from oxygen and protecting those floral aromatics. Iteration is blended from 11 Grands Crus. From June 2019, L-P introduced 'Iterations' to identify the blend of Grand Siécle. Since 1959, Grand Siècle has been revealed only 26 times in bottle format and 23 times in magnum.
Iteration 26 is based on the highly regarded vintages of 2012 (65%), 2008 (25%) and 2007 (10%) from 8 grand crus.
Weather: 2012: winter and spring frosts had an impact on yields, which were rather moderate. The dry, sunny summer produced wines of great finesse with elegant and balanced Chardonnays and Pinots Noirs with red fruit aromas.
2008: the cool, sunny summer produced complex, well-structured wines for an outstanding vintage with high quality Chardonnays and Pinots Noirs revealing exceptional aromatic richness.
2007: a warm spring, the effects of which were mitigated by a mixed summer, revealing straightforward wines with a beautiful freshness that will keep over time, with Chardonnays having complex aromas of white and citrus fruits and Pinots Noirs with aromas of yellow fruits.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Chardonnay: Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Cramant, Avize | Pinot Noir: Tours-sur-Marne, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy
Grape Varieties: 58% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir
Lees Ageing: 10 years
Dosage: 7 g/l
Disgorged: February 2023
Drink: Now to 2040
