Champagne has earned a special place in the hearts of many wine lovers for its extraordinary ability to transcend the vagaries of vintage using the art of blending. Though specific years have delivered the optimal conditions for notable vintage releases, the pursuit of a ‘perfect year’ – based on the finest vintages combined – has resulted in the creation of an icon by Laurent-Perrier in 1959: Grand Siècle.
The story begins in the early 1950s when Bernard de Nonancourt, an influential and pioneering man assigned the role of CEO, decided it was time to raise the stakes with a prestige cuvée. ‘My grandfather noticed that even when exceptional, a vintage was not able to reach the perfection he sought,’ says Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt, ambassador for Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle. ‘He believed that the greatest wines showed a tension and a liveliness, yet still retained aromatic complexity, depth and intensity that comes with age, so he was convinced that he could recreate the “perfect year”, that nature alone could not provide, through the art of assemblage.’
To this day, Grand Siècle is still crafted with adherence to the three guiding principles established 65 years ago: it is a blend of three exceptional years, which must be complementary in character and chosen from among the rare Laurent-Perrier vintages; the majority of the assemblage should be Chardonnay, supplemented by Pinot Noir sourced exclusively from a maximum of 11 Grands Crus within the 319 Crus of the Champagne region. Patience plays a crucial role, as the Champagne must rest on its lees in the cellars of Laurent-Perrier for at least ten years, a few years longer for a magnum, before finally being disgorged.
‘It takes time to become an icon and Grand Siècle is only created when three vintages are deemed capable of realising my grandfather’s particular vision,’ Pereyre de Nonancourt adds. ‘Consequently, Champagne Laurent-Perrier has declared just 30 vintages between 1950 and 2012 and, for this reason, only 26 “iterations” have been produced since the first Grand Siècle was released back in 1959.’
Laurent-Perrier recently became the first Champagne producer to receive a Royal Warrant from King Charles III and there was a regal influence on the naming of Grand Siècle; it was inspired by King Louis XIV and the Palace of Versailles, with its spectacular gardens designed to harness the elements of nature to achieve a form of perfection. The most recent release, Grand Siècle Iteration No26, is a blend of 58% Chardonnay, the remainder Pinot Noir, chosen from the vintages of 2012, 2008 and 2007. As a rule, the most recent vintage forms most of the blend in each new release and it is also likely to reappear as a component of the next iteration, providing an elegant line of continuity.
Pereyre de Nonancourt explains that the finest Grand Cru fruit is of utmost importance: ‘With the vision for Grand Siècle, we seek the minerality, freshness and finesse of Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize, Cramant, Oger and Chouilly and the elegant structure and aromatics of Pinot Noir from Ambonnay, Bouzy, Tours-sur-Marne, Verzy, Verzenay and Mailly. Within each of these Grands Crus, we also use specific parcel selection to retain the unique and qualitative expressions that we preserve through careful vinification in individual vats.’ It is a combination of these top-quality grapes with the influence of time and the art of assemblage that is fundamental in creating Grand Siècle and the ‘perfect year’ that Bernard de Nonancourt first envisioned.
For detailed information on Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle, click here.
