Champagne Laherte Frères Petit Meslier NV Disg. Dec 2020

This is the first release of Laherte Frères' varietal Petit Meslier, an extra brut Champagne from one of the region's nearly forgotten heirloom varieties.

Petit Meslier is a historic cross of Gouais Blanc and Savagnin that has all but disappeared from Champagne, though it has been part of Aurélien Laherte's cuvée Les 7 for almost twenty vintages. The family remain attached to its personality and to its ability to hold acidity even in warmer seasons. Between 2014 and 2018 Laherte established a vineyard mid-slope on the clay-limestone soils of Chavot, using massale cuttings taken from the domaine's oldest Meslier vines, and this bottling marks the first fruit of that project. The vineyards are farmed organically using biodynamic methods. Grapes went to the house's antique Coquard press and the juice flowed by gravity into old barrels, where a wild ferment was followed by malolactic fermentation and six months on lees, then further ageing sur lattes in bottle. It was disgorged by hand with two grams per litre of dosage.

Drinking well now and worth a few years in the cellar; serve at about 8°C with oysters, sashimi or a plate of charcuterie.

*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.