Thanks, just ordered
Thanks @Jen_M_a_s_o_n we have you all set!
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Ah.
I had this exact bottle last night. Disgorged 7/2020, 4.5 g/l. Bottle #5 of a six pack that I got from Envoyer (even though they were advertising the one with the fancy label). I’m a bit surprised by the enthusiasm for this wine. It is nice enough for a NV budget Champagne, but as the “Champagne of the week” in our house, it was a bit boring.
I can see that on first opening it’s going to appeal to those who like their champagne rather crisp and assertive, but it does evolve with air so that it becomes rather more relaxed and elegant. I realise though that not everybody wants to have to open bottles an hour before drinking.
Chris, hey. I’m curious…did you have the white label LF Ultradition or the colorful label Extra Brut Ultradition? Part of the confusion here is that I can’t sort who is drinking what! FWIW, when I reported the incorrect label to Woodland Hills Wine as we were speaking yesterday, he told me they were going to fix that when the guy returns from vacation. They have the Extra Brut, but the website image is the Brut white label…all so corn-fusing.
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I had the one with the label that Paul posted on #6254. It was Extra Brut. As I said, Envoyer was advertising the one with the colorful label, but when I ordered, they sent me this one. I asked them about it and they said that they just received that wine and that the one they sent is actually the new label. Obviously a lie, it made it easy for me to not order from them anymore.
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This is kinda what happens when there are so many SKUs. And then a producer does the strategy to differentiate their work across some categories, plus you have old label and new label, some being incorrectly used (and sold it seems) by retailers, which makes the whole picture foggy and hard to see.
There are 20 images of the wine’s label in its CT entry page and more than half of them are the old label.
For clarity, the Laherte Freres Extra Brut Utradition bottle I tasted this week, wrote up and what I am buying today (with some of the other dorks who were at the table with me) is this one:
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Yesterday
Leclerc Briant Grand Blanc, a rich styles zero dosage Chardonnay. Nice
Today
Clement Perseval Les Rouleaux 2015, only 485 bottles. 100% Chard. Leaner than the LB. Grippy, quite fine.
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Mine are definitely the old label and definitely ‘extra brut’
Back fwiw
*Frank what’s the new style back label list as the make up and percentages?
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Don’t have the LF Ultra EB with me but if I recall, this is the same composition and cepage trio. Your disgorgement is 2019, so yes, that would be on the old label. I am not certain on when the disgorgements went to the new front label but it was not that long ago.
Nothing better to wash away the dreary, wet day blues than a nice bottle of rosé. The last time I had this was about a year ago and it did no show well. However, time in the bottle has served this well. Still young, but showing some strawberry and citrus fruits, though not as fruity as the color might lead you to believe. What I really liked was the “sweet tart” finish that reminds me of '02 Elisabeth Salmon at a similar age. It is fresh and sweet at the same time. Even the wife commented how nice it was.
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Dig! You described the 12 very well, Jon. Color looks spot on, too. The acidity on the 12 continues for me to be a real good asset to the wine, but heck, it is Vilmart so the acid is regularly in there.
Good reminder for me too…I’ve yet to lock down my 14 Emotion. Did you buy it yet and if so, where and what did you pay if I may ask?
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Thanks Frank. I take that as a big complement coming from the person who I believe we all consider the Vilmart expert around here. Still cold and rainy here so I am going to open the '13 tonight.
I have not bought the '14 yet. Have you had it? Thoughts?
I loved the 14 Emotion when I tried it for what it’s worth.
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I know the new label was in use for the 2018 base vintage and disgorgements of the 2018 base started at the end of 2020. The older label pictured with the November 2019 disgorgement is most likely the start of the 2017 based disgorgements. It is possible some new labels of the Ultradition Extra Brut were used at the end of the 2017 disgorgements or that the old label was used at the start of the 2018 based disgorgements.
As for the wine, 2017 was a rough year for the dark grapes. Laherte handled it well and the reserve wines help, but the 2017 base is not at the level of the 2018 or 2019 based Ultradition Extra Brut. I thought the 2018 base was the best Ultradition Extra Brut I had tasted, until I tasted the 2019 based Ultradition Extra Brut which is a downright steal for the price. Currently, I feel that the Ultradition Extra Brut along with Dehour’s Grande Reserve are probably the best buy in small producer Champagne right now for wines that are made at a scale where you can actually find them and buy more than 1-2 bottles.
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Since you are another Vilmart expert, it is worth a lot.
No, not had it yet. We had the 13 back in August, it was drinking with a good spine to it, too. I do think Laurent Champs really knocked it out with the 2013s. As for expert, that is a nice complement but I am just one voice who opens a lot of it.
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Thanks Brad,
For me I still prefer the Laherte BdB brut nature for some reason. My only new labels are those and some petit meslier. Will the Crayeres & Les Empreintes ever switch over to the new labels?
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CJ,
Empreintes has been a part of the ‘fun art’ label series for at least a couple years. I don’t know which other wines may switch over. Right now Crayeres is in the Terroir series so the more traditional label. You could make a case that a few more of the Terroir series wines would fit in well with the ‘fun art’ labels, but I don’t know what Aurelien’s plans/thoughts on that may be.