Champagne LeClerc Briant Les Basses Prières Extra Brut Hautvillers Premier Cru 2018

“Lilac, lily and lime blossom aromas waft through this refreshing, balanced Champagne, which offers a well-spiced range of ripe cherry and raspberry fruit, blood orange peel, biscuit and mineral notes set on the raw silk–like mousse. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Disgorged November 2024. Drink now through 2035. 115 cases made, 40 cases imported.”

“The 2018 Extra Brut Les Basses Prières is a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay, picked together in the eponymous parcel in Hautvillers, vinified and was aged together for nine months on oak before tirage. The wine spent just over five years on the lees. On the nose, the creaminess of the wine melds with toasty oak that almost comes across as sun-warmed, split fresh pinewood. The palate is fresh, juicy and bright with apple, and is notably creamy. A smooth, fine mousse amplifies the creaminess, while the low dosage and freshness chime beautifully. Dosage is 1.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 2024.”