Description
Champagne Laurent-Perrier, “Grand Siècle N°25”
Want to fully and forever understand the rarefied tête de cuvée category? Buy one of tonight’s exceptional bottles and you’ll never question it again. “Grand Siècle” isn’t just a fascinating and unique prestige cuvée—it’s among the very best on the market, and should be chiseled on the Mount Rushmore of luxury champagne. I’m serious: Bring out all the Doms, Cristals, Rares, and Comtes of the world, and the 25th iteration of Laurent-Perrier’s hedonistic, stunningly textured “Grand Siècle” will not stutter. In fact, it’ll speak louder, clearer, and with more sophistication than most.
First released in the fifties, L-P’s glorious tête de cuvée has always been a masterful Grand Cru blend of three vintages, and today’s 25th release is largely fueled by legendary 2008 with ’07 and ’06 rounding it out. It’s the finest I’ve tasted, and I’m confident those who gravitate towards the creamy, toasty, stupendously rich side of luxury champagne will agree. If reviews are your thing, go take a look at the effusive praise this is receiving, and try to keep your jaw from hitting the ground when you find one flirting with the ever-elusive triple-digit score. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely, positively, 100%. Complimentary Ground Shipping on two bottles.
NOTE: If this is your first time seeing a Friday Night offer, welcome! My name is Mark Osburn, sommelier and champagne specialist at SommSelect. My goal with this series is simple: to offer limited and/or highly touted gems that have to be pried out of an iron grip. These offers don’t happen every week, but they’re always on Friday nights—stay vigilant!
Founded in 1812, Laurent Perrier is among the first wave of “Champagne Houses” or “Grandes Marques,” and over the course of two centuries, they’ve become an architect of high-quality, incredibly consistent sparkling wine. For me, it’s especially refreshing to feature a Champagne House on SommSelect. As you know, we’re all about grower-champagnes here, and I don’t envision that changing, but there’s something special about a House’s prestige cuvée. They may be “corporate” in style, but they’re undeniably elite—imagine the polish, precision, and luxury feel you get from an Apple product. What’s more, when you have the freedom and capital to purchase top fruit from all over Champagne, and the ability to hire the best Chef de Caves, your opportunity for success and growth becomes limitless.
“Grand Siécle” is Laurent-Perrier’s time-honored prestige cuvée that’s currently enjoying its 25th iteration. Always a blend of three top vintages and several Grand Cru terroirs, it has become the ultimate paragon of opulence, power, and precision. This iteration relies heavily (65%) on the legendary 2008 vintage, followed by steel-aged reserves from 2007 and 2006. The 60/40 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir was expertly sourced from nine of Champagne’s 17 Grand Cru villages: Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy, Tours-sur-Marne, and Mailly for Pinot; Avize, Cramant, Oger, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger for Chardonnay.
In 2008, the Grand Cru Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were gently pressed before fermentations in stainless steel vats (L-P was the first Champagne House to use this vessel in the 1960s!) and the base wine was then blended with 2006 and 2007 reserves before bottling. From here, the wine matured sur-lie in their cellars for a whopping 12 years before disgorgement and a seven-gram dosage.
Laurent-Perrier’s 25th rendition of “Grand Siècle” has an intoxicating nose and palate that’s loaded to the “max fill line” with toasty brioche, creamy orchard fruits, grilled nuts, candied citrus, and a pulverized core of crushed chalk and wet stone. This is a full-bodied champagne that stretches wide and deep with dense, incredibly complex flavors that range from caramelized peach to preserved lemon to grilled apricot before converging with a supremely focused and savory layer of crystallized ginger, iodine, and saffron. It’s liquid luxury, a hedonist’s dream, and it should continue to stun and evolve beautifully throughout the decade.
