Laherte Frères : Les Grandes Crayères Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2021

Tasting Notes and Serving Suggestions for Laherte Frères Grandes Crayères Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2021

Tasting

Appearance

The wine shows a pale golden-yellow hue with silvery highlights, bright and luminous. The effervescence features fine, steady bubbles, reflecting extended aging on the lees.

Nose

The nose opens with precise, elegant aromas of fresh citrus—especially lemon—and green apple, alongside white floral notes of broom and acacia. With aeration, nuances of damp chalk, sweet almond, and brioche gradually emerge.

Palate

On the palate, this champagne is taut and vibrant, with an attack marked by a very pronounced salinity. The mid-palate combines breadth and precision, supported by ripe, linear acidity. Its crisp structure reveals flavors of lemon zest, pear, and dried flowers, interwoven with a highly expressive mineral, chalky backbone. The long, especially saline finish extends this sense of purity and mineral freshness, with flinty notes.

Food & wine pairings

This champagne pairs perfectly with sea bass tartare with fine herbs, smoked or marinated salmon, raw oysters, or trout with almonds. It can also accompany a panna cotta or a light dessert based on white-fleshed fruits. Ideal as a refined aperitif, it also elevates gastronomic fish and seafood meals.

Serving and cellaring

A Blanc de Blancs Champagne of exceptional mineral purity

The estate

Established in 1889 in Chavot on the southern slopes of Épernay, the family estate Laherte Frères now covers more than 11 hectares across 75 plots. Since 2005, Aurélien Laherte, representing the seventh generation of winegrowers, has led the property with a philosophy rooted in the authentic expression of terroir through biodynamic viticulture and minimalist winemaking practices. The estate has gradually established itself as a benchmark for distinctive, authentic champagnes, recognized with two stars in the Guide de la Revue du Vin de France and three stars in the Guide Bettane & Desseauve.

The vineyard

Grandes Crayères Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2021 comes from plots located on the heights of the southern slopes of Épernay, in the Chavot area in Champagne. These plots stand out for an exceptional geological feature: Campanian chalk outcrops at the surface, separated from the topsoil by only a very thin layer of around 20 centimeters. The west–southwest exposure allows the grapes to ripen slowly and progressively while preserving crisp acidity. The chardonnay vines, over 35 years old, are farmed biodynamically, with regular plowing and the use of biodynamic preparations.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage in Champagne proved particularly challenging, marked by successive frosts between April and May that caused the loss of around 30% of the crop. Summer brought cool, humid, stormy conditions, with significant disease pressure. Only the first two weeks of June provided sunny, warm weather during flowering. Despite these climatic challenges, producers in the Côte des Blancs and on the southern slopes of Épernay were relatively spared. For the best terroirs, rigorous selection made it possible to produce high-quality wines characterized by classic vibrancy and remarkable acidic structure.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Grandes Crayères Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2021 are harvested at optimal ripeness and then pressed using the traditional Champagne method. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in 3- to 10-year-old oak barrels with native yeasts, with no malolactic fermentation in order to preserve high acidity and the wine’s mineral structure. Aging lasts six months on fine lees with regular lees stirring to build volume and breadth. The wine is then bottled without fining or filtration and rests for around three years before being hand-disgorged (à la volée). The final dosage of 3 to 4 grams per liter places this cuvée in the extra brut category.

Grape variety

This Extra Brut is 100% chardonnay.