Why Champagne house Laurent-Perrier prefers to create blends, not vintages
For Laurent-Perrier’s Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt, combining harvests makes for a better sparkling wine than individual vintages
Purity, freshness and elegance – those are the three words Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt, co-owner of Laurent-Perrier, uses to describe her house’s style. To achieve those qualities, she says, it is necessary to “have respect for the purest, natural aromas of the grape variety. This means we never use oak barrels. Chardonnay from the chalky soils gives acidity and freshness.” Elegance is attained from “blending the perfect balance from each village”.
The Champagne region of northeast France has a history of strong female role models, not least the widow (veuve) Clicquot, Lily Bollinger and Evelyne Roques-Boizel. Laurent-Perrier follows this tradition and is now managed by de Nonancourt and her sister, Stéphanie. Looking back at 2010, the year her father, Bernard, died, de Nonancourt says, “The company felt like an orphan. I wanted to challenge myself to capture the knowledge and innovative spirit of my father.”
Laurent-Perrier is now the largest family-owned champagne house. Its independence means it can do things differently. In Champagne, it is common for many houses to release their prestige cuvée as a vintage champagne. Laurent-Perrier is an exception and, de Nonancourt says, “Only 26 vintages were released in the past 53 [years]. We are not a great vintage house. We release only when [that vintage] has a strong personality. We prefer to blend great years rather than make a vintage every year.”
Laurent-Perrier has turned blending into a fine art. De Nonancourt explains, “A vintage is limited by the personality of a single year. It is very rare to get a perfect year. The art of blending allows parts to be assembled into a perfect champagne.”
Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut, HK$438
La Cuvée has recently undergone changes with the wine and label design. De Nonancourt says Laurent-Perrier has been working with growers to increase the quality of the grapes. The fruit is sourced from more than 100 villages. A larger component of chardonnay is now used for the final blend. Wines are aged longer – for up to four years – to add complexity.
