Laherte Freres Les Empreintes 2016 Champagne 750ml

Disgorged December 2021. This wine offers what Laherte refers to as the “quintessence of the Chavot terroir.” It is always a selection of Laherte’s five best barrels from each of his two finest Chavot plots: old-vine Chardonnay from Les Chemins d’Épernay (planted in 1957 on clay with chalky subsoils, with around one-third of the fruit the rare Chardonnay-Muscaté); and Pinot Noir from Les Rouges Maisons (planted in the late ‘80s on a deep soil rich in clay, flint and schist). The wines were vinified separately and raised in old Burgundy barrels, (with some portions fermented in second-hand DRC Le Montrachet barrels). The dosage was 4 g/L.

The 2016 Extra Brut Les Empreintes is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, a portion of which is Chardonnay Muscatel. Lemon drops, mint, white pepper and exotic floral notes all grace this intensely aromatic, beguiling Champagne. The 2016 possesses captivating inner sweetness and impeccable balance, not to mention a truly distinctive personality. Quite simply, it is really unlike anything I have ever tasted