Laherte Freres Brut Ultradition (750ml)

Pinot Meunier from Champagne, France

B-21 Top Recommendation
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Meticulously crafted, terroir driven Champagne for under $40? Yes, please! A favorite among critics and wine insiders alike, the 92 pt. Laherte Freres Brut Ultradition balances bright flavors with lively acidity on a fine-beaded, creamy mousse, produced by “one of Champagne's elite vignerons” according to Vinous critic Antonio Galloni and offering outstanding value.

Centered in the village of Chavot south of Epernay, the Laherte family farms 10 hectares of vines spread over 75 parcels in ten villages, transitioning to organic and biodynamic practices under the direction of seventh generation Aurelien Laherte since 2005. Although purchasing fruit exclusively from family formally designates the estate “negociant-manipulant,” Laherte Freres is a true grower-producer, crafting the Brut Ultradition with 60% Pinot Meunier planted in diverse soils of chalk and clay largely in the Côteaux Sud D'Epernay and averaging 30 years of age. Fermenting plots individually in a mix of foudres, tank and barrel on the lees to preserve each parcel’s unique qualities, Aurelien also incorporates 40% reserve wines aged in barriques into the Brut Ultradition’s final blend, adding rich texture and depth while also limiting the dosage (i.e., added sugar) in balance with the ripeness of the fruit.

Produced with conscientious viticulture and passionate, attentive winemaking, the Laherte Freres Brut Ultradition is at the forefront of the dynamic grower movement towards vineyard-driven Champagne that expresses its origins, boasting a core of fleshy concentrated fruit with a refined mousse and long, lively finish that begs for another sip. While a “perfect storm” of reduced supply and increased demand is predicted to push prices to a premium, the 92 pt. Laherte Freres Brut Ultradition is a welcome exception, an elegantly crafted, value-priced Champagne that won’t break the bank, priced for stocking up.

92JG

91WA

91V

The new release of Laherte Frères 'Ultradition Brut' is composed of its customary cépages of sixty percent pinot meunier, thirty percent chardonnay and ten percent pinot noir. It is from the base year of the excellent vintage of 2015, with forty percent of the blend composed of reserve wines from the previous two years. It was disgorged in September of 2018 and finished with a dosage of seven grams per liter. The bouquet is pure and complex, delivering scents of apple, white peach, brioche, lovely soil tones, a wisp of smokiness and a topnote of meunier’s lovely floral tones. On the palate the wine is crisp, complex, focused and already beautifully expressive, with a lovely core, elegant mousse, bright acids and fine length and grip on the very well-balanced finish.

92+ points, John Gilman, View From The Cellar (Jun 2016)

Disgorged in spring 2020 with 4.5 grams per liter, the new NV Brut Ultradition exhibits aromas of toasted bread, honeycomb and golden orchard fruit. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, girdled by incisive acids and enlivened by a pinpoint mousse. Expect more complexity to emerge with a bit more age on cork. As in its extra-brut counterpart, domaine fruit is supplemented by some 40% purchased must in this bottling.

91+ points, William Kelley, Wine Advocate (Sep 2021)

The NV Brut Ultradition is similar to the Extra Brut bottling, but with a bit more reserve wines and naturally higher dosage. Interestingly, that mix results in a wine with more tension and brightness than the Extra Brut version. White flowers, mint and orchard fruit are some of the notes that take shape in the glass. Finely sculpted and full of energy, the Ultradition Brut is flat-out delicious. The blend is 60% Meunier, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, 50% 2016 and 50% reserve wines from 2015 and 2014. Dosage: 6-8 gr/L. Disgorged: March, 2019.

91 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Dec 2019)

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$39.98

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