Description
Champagne Paul Launois, “Composition” Blanc de Blancs
Jean-Pierre Launois is a rare glimpse into how absurdly delicious and affordable artisanal Champagne can be, and with the World Cup now decided, will either serve as a celebratory elixir or soothing panacea!
Grower-producer Julien Launois enjoys impeccable vineyard real estate in the Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and crafts each and every one of his bottles by hand. Honestly, when considering his prime Chardonnay terroir, ultra-traditional approach, and unbelievably affordable price, today’s “Brut-Tradition” should come with a three-bottle minimum. This beautiful 50/50 Pinot-Chardonnay blend is the ultimate house Champagne, with a twist of exclusivity: Any guest you invite over will gush over the pure pleasure this provides but, unlike all other great “entry-level” bottles, they’ll struggle to find it elsewhere. Their microscopic production is what makes Launois so unique—only 400 cases of “Brut-Tradition” are produced annually, a drop in the ocean compared to most other houses, which crank out tens of thousands. I can’t imagine anyone not labeling this as their favorite value Champagne of the year, so take your full share and keep it within reach. The only downside is, no matter the quantity you buy, you’ll always wish there was another bottle to be popped when your last one disappears!
For more than 40 years, Jean-Pierre was a bonafide récoltant-coopérateur in the village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, one of the most prestigious Grand Crus in all of Champagne. An “RC” is essentially a hybrid between a grower and a co-op: The farmer tends to his vines, takes the crop to a nearby cooperative for vinification, and returns at a later date to pick up the wine in bottle, to be disgorged and labeled under the grower’s name. Many growers utilize this method so as to save money (buying and maintaining a cellar is not cheap!) and/or relieve some of the demanding physical burden. However, when Jean-Pierre’s son, Julien Launois, recently came aboard, he decided to take on the role as a true grower-producer, or récoltant-manipulant (RM). He and his wife cut ties with the co-op and purchased a cellar from Billecart-Salmon in 2013. Starting with this year’s vintage, their wines will be labeled “RM.” This is monumental undertaking can make or break a business, but Julien felt it was a necessary step in order to have total control from start to finish. Something else to keep on your radar: they have recently launched a ‘single barrel’ concept (the first in Champagne) where customers can buy a specific barrel of Grand Cru Chardonnay and tell Julien how they want it made—from barrel toasting, to aging, to dosage!
Today’s “Brut-Tradition” is an equal blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with the former coming from vines overlooking the prestigious village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and the latter being sourced from Avize, another Grand Cru village. In their cellar, grapes are cold-soaked for 12 hours for added extraction and a cool, natural alcoholic and malolactic fermentation takes place over the course of several months. During its time in stainless steel tanks, the wine stays in contact with its lees. It then ages in bottle for at least 24 months and over the course of the final four weeks, Julien himself hand turns every bottle—each one averages 25 total turns—before disgorgement. This is also painstakingly done by hand, or “à la volée,” an old-school approach that only a few producers still practice. You can see Julien tackling one in the attached video—keep in mind this is done for every single bottle! The final product is dosed at 9 grams of sugar per liter.
“Brut-Tradition” shines a brilliant straw yellow in the glass alongside a greenish tint pushing out to a platinum rim. The nose is utterly refreshing—one of the cleanest out there at this price point—with notes of white flowers, cream, honeysuckle, green apples, peach yogurt, white mushrooms, tangerine peel, and fresh cut Bosc pear. Citrus blossoms and lemon verbena also blend into a healthy backbone of crushed chalk. The palate has an extremely soft mousse with supple fruits and steady waves of steely minerality. It’s creamy ripeness and vivacity provides a lengthy, mouth-watering finishing that will have you rushing back to the glass. “Brut-Tradition” is a down-to-earth, no-frills Champagne that has mineral intensity, fruit purity, and streamlined freshness. It isn’t enhanced with anything other than the terroir it was born with and the gentle hand that crafted it. Show this wine off with everyone you know and make sure it stays around 45-50 degrees in all-purpose white stems. First, however, find some fresh oysters at your local seafood market and try this Nola-inspired recipe. The slight crunch and salinity will be a perfect match for this creamy Champagne. Cheers!
