NV Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle #23

55% 2004, 30% 2002, 15% 1999. 55% Chardonnay from Avize, Cramant, Oger and Le-Mesnil-sur-Oger. Disgorged November 2022. From magnum. Really lifted and amazingly fresh. Yummy! Creamy and rich but with some green vegy notes. (JR)

Tasted from magnum, the nose of the NV Champagne Grand Siècle Grande Cuvée 23 Brut has more layered complexity, coming from 2006, 2004, and 2002. Medium straw/golden-colored in the glass, its aromas of wet stone, smoky earth, and a hint of marmalade are followed on the palate by a medium to full-bodied wine with a pillowing, rounded mouthfeel (perhaps due to being from magnum), and as it opens, it reveals notes of pastry cream and peachy ripe orchard fruit, then gains in intensity through to its lightly salty, savory finish. Deeper in profile and personality, it’s more broadly structured, with a layered depth throughout as well as a hint of warmth. Drink over the coming 2-3 decades. It has the addition of 7 grams per liter dosage.

Produced from the 2006, 2004, and 2002 vintages, the NV Champagne Grand Siècle Grand Cuvée No. 23 has 7 grams per liter dosage and was released in March of 2022. It was the most restrained of the three iterations at this tasting. The nose has beautiful aromatics that lift with a veil of smoke and minerals of wet asphalt, green orchard fruits of pear and apple, white pepper, and lemon curd. The mousse is inviting and fine, with a fantastic silky mineral texture that defines the wine, orange citrus, and savory salinity. It offers a mineral-driven expression that is sure to age wonderfully over the next two decades.