Credits: Article and images by Ken Gargett @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/02/03/champagne-lallier-getting-into-the-ground-floor-early/
————————————————————————————————
Lallier now has 15 hectares of vineyards (or fifty, depending on your source – production figures vary just as much, but 15 seems to be quoted more often so I am happy to go with that). That said, it seems that production has hit one million bottles, although interestingly the house notes that 700,000 of those were Lallier, so obviously they are making other champagnes.
The current vintage release from Lallier is from 2014, which the house describes as an “outstanding vintage”. Houses, as is the tendency of winemakers the globe over, can sometimes expand on the qualities of a vintage, giving them a ranking that may not be fully deserved.
So, when I saw them referring to the 2003 vintage, one which for me has very few redeeming features, as an “exceptional vintage”, I’m taking whatever they say with the proverbial grain of salt.
So how is 2014? Our usual source for these matters, Charles Curtis MW in his “Vintage Champagne: 1899 to 2019”, ranks it three stars (out of five) and noted that it was “an up-and-down year that ended well”. Fears of botrytis infection largely proved unfounded, with Chardonnay faring best of the trio of varieties.
A warm, dry September helped save the year. Curtis’s view is very much in line with the general reports. It may not quite reach the quality of 2008, 2012 or the 2018-2020 trio, but it is a very good year.
The Lallier 2014 is a blend of 73% Pinot Noir and 27% Chardonnay. Seven years on lees with a dosage of 8 grams/liter. 100% of the wine is sourced from Grand Cru vineyards.
The nose offers toasty notes, walnuts, florals, ginger and truffles. Glacéd lemon. There is great intensity here, but elegance and a gossamer touch are evident. Vibrant acidity, but everything is so well balanced that one almost misses it.
Fresh and pristine, taut and focused, a superb champagne and one which confirms that the 2014 vintage did indeed make some crackers. All this with impeccable chalky backing. Delicious now, but another five to eight years will only add to the complexity. For me, 96-96. Love it.
Take a look at the Lallier range. You might not be getting in right on the ground floor, but awfully close. And you’ll never regret it.
For more information, please visit https://www.champagne-lallier.com/
You might also enjoy:
Billecart-Salmon Nicolas François 2008: Absolutely Sensational Champagne!
Champagne Devaux: Seriously Good Wines
It’s ‘Champagne Day’ with Krug: Pop the Cork and Cheers!
Credits: Article and images by Ken Gargett @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/02/03/champagne-lallier-getting-into-the-ground-floor-early/