LAHERTE Les Vignes d'Autrefois 2021

Pinot Meunier single vintage from old vines

Les Vignes d'Autrefois is a vintage Pinot Meunier Champagne sourced from the villages of Chavot and Mancy. The old vines (planted in 1947 and 1953) are rooted in clay and silts over a limestone base. Some have been planted on franc vine stock, others are the result of old mass selections. This Champagne is a tribute to Lahert's ancestors and to the grape variety Pinot Meunier.

Vinification:

• Picked by hand when fully riped
• Pressed with a traditional round wooden single four-tonne press
• Alcoholic fermentation made in old Burgundy oak barrels
• Malolactic fermentation is blocked to promote the expression of the terroir
• Ageing during 6 months with regular stirring of the lees (batonnage)
• Ageing on fine lees for 18-20 months
• Disgorgement by hand during december 2024
• Dosage : extra brut 2g/l
• Only 3'255 bottles produced (2021 vintage)

This wine shows a fascinating amount of fruit, is powerful and gripping with a fine length. Exotic flavors of mirabelle plum, cherries and various spices. A very convincing presentation of the Meunier grape. A full flavor champagne, not one of the quiet or fine variety, but an unparalleled powerhouse. Incredibly impressive and endowed with immense substance and depth. Definitely not an aperitif champagne, but a large wine with high standards, massive format and almost dramatic intensity.