A really nice “basic” Champagne from a well-regarded grower-producer. Impressive for an entry bottling made of mostly Grand Cru Pinot. I am impressed by its depth, which is almost certainly a result of the inclusion of a decent amount of reserve wine. There is a nuttiness, yeastiness, a chewiness, and for lack of a better word, a darkness, that I don’t usually associate with young NV Champagnes, and especially Brut Natures. It’s an interesting question whether this bottling is what it should be; the NV Brut Nature label would lead one to expect a bright, light, acidic bubbly that is bursting with energy. I got something a bit more reserved (pun intended), thoughtful, rich. I enjoy this style more, actually, so I’m not complaining. Not cheap at $60, but worth it.
I love this. A few months ago we had a dinner at a local Michelin-starred joint with a strong Champagne list and following bottles from Selosse, Prévost and Charles Dufour this was by far the most “classic” champagne of the evening, funny enough, and just extremely solid. Probably a good gateway drug into the world of grower Champagne, as such.
One of my overall favourite producers and still very well priced.
NV Benoît Lahaye Champagne Grand Cru Brut Nature - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (10/21/2021)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over a couple hours –
– 90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay –
– Nov. '20 disgorgement –
NOSE: red apple; medium-light intensity; not a whole lot going on.
BODY: very light salmon color; light bodied.
TASTE: incredibly dry; light red berries mixed with apple; no dosage, and it shows — very austere, even a bit much for me, although I do nonetheless like it. Ash likes it, too, and would pay about what I did for it. Hoping to see some development with age.
Sounds very good. I had his Naturessence and was very impressed. A lot of nutty and baked bread characters but with ripe yellow fruit and some apricot.
NV Benoît Lahaye Champagne Grand Cru Brut Nature - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (9/12/2022)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over a couple hours –
– 90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay –
– Nov. 2020 disgorgement –
NOSE: light; crisp; apple; petrichor. Clean and “fresh”.
BODY: polished brass color with faint auburn hue; bead is quite active; light bodied.
TASTE: dry, but still fruity; liking drinking flavorful air — the mouthfeel is amazingly light and airy; not rich, heavy, yeasty, bready, or oxidative; green pear, and a cool little hit of mid-palate cinnamon. This no dosage wine appears to be gradually fleshing-out with bottle age, as compared to a couple bottles we had about one year ago. Excellent, provided one likes the relatively austere, no dosage, grower style, which I do.