Laurent-Perrier

Grand Siècle Itération n°27 | Bottle 75cl

Description

Description & elaboration

The Grand Siècle Itération n°27 cuvée from Laurent-Perrier is a champagne crafted for fine dining. It offers notes of candied citrus, acacia honey and toasted brioche, with a remarkable mineral tension. On the palate, its silky texture and saline length make it a natural companion for great dinners. Shaped by one of Champagne's most iconic houses, it represents a confidential release whose every numbered iteration is eagerly anticipated by collectors.

The blend of three years recreates a climatic perfection impossible to achieve from a single harvest. British wine critic Jancis Robinson awarded this cuvée 18.5+/20.

The Terroir

The grapes come from eight Grand Cru villages, rigorously selected from the 319 villages within the Champagne appellation. The sixty per cent Chardonnay comes from the Côte des Blancs, where vine roots plunge into the belemnite chalk that surfaces in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize and Cramant. This subsoil ensures optimal drainage. The forty per cent Pinot Noir comes from the Montagne de Reims, on the south- and south-east-facing slopes of Tours-sur-Marne, Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzy.

The winemaking

Cellar Master Olivier Vigneron conduct primary fermentations exclusively in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The house systematically carries out malolactic fermentation (the conversion of sharp acidity into a softer acidity) in order to add roundness, integrate complexity and ensure ageing potential over several decades. The blend incorporates black-skinned grapes that fans of Blanc de Pinots Noirs prize for their tactile depth.

After bottling, the prise de mousse (second fermentation in bottle that creates the bubbles) is followed by a 120-month lees ageing in the underground cellars. Disgorgement is accompanied by a brut dosage measured at 7 g/L, balancing the wine's natural vivacity. The precise disgorgement date appears on the back label of each bottle.

A non-vintage champagne

The blend is built primarily around the 2015 harvest, which accounts for 65% of the composition. 2015 was marked by a wet winter followed by a hot summer — a year that yielded dense Chardonnays with notes of ripe yellow fruits.

The 2013 vintage represents 25% of the blend. A year in which budburst was delayed by low spring temperatures, pushing the harvest back to mid-October and generating a structured acidic backbone essential to the cuvée's longevity.

Finally, 2012 completes the equation at 10%. Despite heavy spring rainfall, this harvest yielded Pinot Noir juices marked by fresh red fruit, contributing the roundness needed to balance the whole.

Tasting notes

• Appearance

  The colour reveals a pale gold hue with luminous highlights. Fine effervescence feeds a persistent bead that rises steadily along the glass, a testament to the long cellaring.

• Nose

  The first nose opens on a bouquet of fresh citrus and white flowers. Aeration releases pastry-like notes, marked by acacia honey, almond paste and toasted brioche.

• Palate

  The attack combines a chalky tension with a silky texture. The mid-palate reveals flavours of dried apricot and roasted hazelnut, stretching towards a long, saline and invigorating finish.

Pairing suggestions

Aperitif bites

• Comté gougères
• Blinis with oscietra caviar
• Scallop tartare

Main courses

• Butter-roasted lobster
• Turbot with hollandaise sauce
• Roasted Bresse chicken

Cheese and Desserts

• Aged Parmigiano Reggiano
• Creamy Chaource
• Mirabelle plum tartlet

The Plus de Bulles expert's opinion

Advice

How to store this champagne?

Plus de Bulles ships this bottle in a dedicated shock-proof champagne carton. After delivery, we recommend storing the bottle horizontally, away from light — ideally in a cellar, or at the very least in a cool, not too dry place with a relatively stable temperature.

Ageing potential

The Grand Siècle Itération n°27 from Laurent-Perrier has an evolution potential estimated at between 15 and 20 years. Each stage reveals a new aromatic dimension of the cuvée.

• Drinking now: dominant minerality supported by lemon zest and a pronounced chalky tension.
• Drinking around 5 years: the structure softens around praline, pastry and dried fruit notes.
• Drinking around 15 years: a shift towards a tertiary register centred on leather, undergrowth and gentle spices.

Serving suggestions

Serve between 10 and 12 °C. A large white wine glass enhances the perception of the aromatic bouquet. A brief decanting beforehand is recommended to allow the wine to open up after disgorgement.

A note about this cuvée

Bernard de Nonancourt conceived this concept to surpass the result of a single harvest by blending three complementary years. This rigour extends the path laid down by the previous iteration of this exceptional cuvée.

This meticulous parcel-by-parcel approach also guides the house's other creations, as illustrated by the house's celebrated rosé champagne, crafted through skin maceration of the berries.