Champagne Laherte Frères Les Vignes d'Autrefois 2017 Disg. May 2021

Champagne Laherte Frères Les Vignes d'Autrefois is a Blanc de Noirs made entirely from old-vine Pinot Meunier grown biodynamically at Chavot and Mancy.

Meunier is usually treated as a blending variety in Champagne, and Aurélien Laherte's argument here is that old vines on the right soils make it a subject in its own right. Les Vignes d'Autrefois, 'the vines of another time', comes from a single four-tonne press of fruit from vines planted between 1947 and 1964. The Chavot sites, La Potote and Les Rouges Maisons, lie on deep clay and silt with flint and small stones; Les Hautes Norgeailles and Les Bas Putroux at Mancy are on clay over chalk. The name also refers to the fact that these are all massale selections rather than clones, with a small amount of ungrafted vine material scattered through the plots. Ageing was in old Burgundy barrels, some sourced from Montille and Leroux, with malolactic fermentation blocked: seven months in barrel followed by 30 months on lees in bottle. The viticulture is entirely biodynamic. This release was disgorged in May 2021.

Drinking well now and will hold for eight to ten years. Serve at 9–10°C in a wine glass, with roast pork, mushroom dishes or a washed-rind cheese.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.