Description
Champagne Pascal Lallement, Premier Cru Brut
It has been several years since we last offered a wine from Pascal Lallement, so it speaks to the consistency of their wines (and of Champagnes in general) that my first word for today’s Brut Premier Cru was “vinous.” When I searched our database and found the previous write-up of this wine, the whole thing was focused on just that—vinosity. Which is to say: Treat this like wine, not some other category of beverage. The only thing keeping you from serving this next to a juicy roast chicken in large stems is habit—developed over many years of being bombarded by marketing images that placed Champagne in the “apéritif” category.
But even if you choose to serve Pascal Lallement’s densely concentrated Brut Premier Cru as a meal- and/or conversation-starter, you’ll be handsomely rewarded. You’ll remember it because you’ll really feel it. Like so many hand-crafted, grower-produced Champagnes, this bears the indelible imprint of its place, with texture to spare and a mineral underpinning as pronounced as any wine from anywhere. And yes, the price—especially given the extra labor, equipment, and time a wine like this requires—represents unparalleled value. There’s a combination of depth and tension here that’s found in very few wines in the world. The fact that it is bubbly is, quite frankly, incidental.
The Lallement family gives their home village, Chamery, nearly equal billing to their surname on the wine’s label. Located in the northwest corner of Champagne’s Montagne de Reims sub-zone, Chamery is a designated Premier Cru, with vineyards occupying a bowl-like amphitheater that faces south. Montagne de Reims, of course, is dominated by the “black” grapes, as is Lallement’s non-vintage Brut: It is composed of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay grown in the villages of Chamery, Eceuil, and Sermier.
Lallement farms his vineyards organically, and, like so many of his récoltant-manipulant (grower-producer) colleagues, subjects his wines to extra-long periods of lees aging before disgorgement and release. This freshly disgorged NV brut spent more than four years on its lees—well above the minimum requirement—and was provided with the maximum Brut dosage of 12 grams/liter. These two factors largely contribute to the palate weight and persistence of the wine.
In the glass, Lallement’s Premier Cru Brut displays a light golden core with slight gold and green reflections at the rim, with a fine ‘bead’ (string of bubbles). The intense and creamy nose charms with aromas of rising brioche, baked apple croissant, lemon curd, honeysuckle, crushed hazelnut, a bouquet of white flowers, crushed chalk, and an underlying hint of redcurrant. It is full-bodied by Champagne standards and coats the palate with creamy, round notes of hazelnut purée, sweet apple, spun honey, and rising bread dough. The dense opulence and vinous texture is exquisitely checked by fresh acidity, fine bubbles, and terroir-driven minerality. Alluring as it is right now, this could effortlessly age another 3-5 years if kept well. For instant gratification, simply pull from the fridge, pop the cork and wait 10 minutes prior to serving. Do not pour this wine into tall, thin flutes or the aromatics will be subdued and the experience will be akin to going to the opera with a pair of earmuffs. Opt instead for all-purpose stems or open-mouthed Champagne glasses for optimal results.
