Laherte Freres Brut Nature, Nature de Craie 1er Cru

Country: France

Region: Champagne

Type: Champagne

Grape: Chardonnay  

Laherte Freres is run by Aurélien Laherte, who has been at the helm of his family estate since 2005. Laherte Freres was founded in 1889 in the village of Chavot in the Coteaux Sud D'Epernay, and over the generations the vineyard holdings have slowly grown to 10.5 hectares, always with an emphasis on allowing full terroir expression in the wines through careful farming. Aurélien farms 7 hectares biodynamically and certified organic, with the other vineyards farmed uncertified organic or, at minimum, sustainably. Under Aurélien's leadership, Laherte Freres has begun to produce a series of single vineyard and single vintage cuvées vinified in Burgundy barrels without malolactic fermentation and bottled without fining or filtration.

From organically grown 30-60 year old vines in the villages of Vertus and Voipreux in the Côte des Blancs. The vineyards are located in the lower mid-slopes where the chalk is at its most prominent, capped off with a few cm of clay. No added sulfur was used during the vinification or aging of this wine and no sugar was added during the vinification or at disgorgement. It is 100% free-run Chardonnay juice. Barrel Aged and barrel fermented, and indigenous yeast fermented.

Laherte’s goal is to express the clearest and finest grain of chalk, and the results here are clear and concise. Rich in the middle, but supported by a mineral backbone, this wine is sublime young, due to its richness and complexity, but will develop more layers over time.