Benoit Lahaye Brut Nature Grand Cru N.V.

“Based on the 2015 vintage and complemented by fully 50% reserve wines, Lahaye’s NV Brut Nature Grand Cru is derived from holdings in Bouzy (which represents 80% of the blend) and Ambonnay, which he feels are better blended than bottled separately. Offering up a complex bouquet of yellow orchard fruit, toasted nuts and dried white flowers, the wine is medium to full-bodied, racy and precise, with fine depth at the core, a delicate mousse and a chalky, sapid finish. Drink: 2020-2030. 92+ points

Benoît Lahaye has been producing wine at this 4.8-hectare Bouzy estate since 1993, and only a few years later, he began to experiment with organic and biodynamic farming. Now certified biodynamic for over a decade, he ploughs many of his vineyards with his own horses. Concentrated and incisive, these are serious Champagnes: harvested at full maturity and vinified without chaptalization in barrels, they see comparatively long élevage on the lees—with full malolactic fermentation—before tirage, and after maturation sur lattes, they’re disgorged with minimal dosage. Lahaye is one of Champagne’s finest producers, and on this visit to the domaine, I relished the opportunity to taste though all his recent releases.”

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (248)