Launois "Cuvée Reserve" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne

SKU #1002121

This K&L favorite has a new package with an impressive old-fashioned bottle shape and new label. This spectacular Champagne is one of the most sought after in France, and Launois' cult status made it very difficult for us to make a purchase. We lucked out, and now we buy it directly, passing massive savings on to you. This house is from Mesnil, the southernmost Grand Cru in Champagne and home to Salon and Krug's Clos de Mesnil. This Champagne is all Chardonnay and all Grand Cru from the villages of Mesnil, Oger, Cramant and Avize - a roll call of the finest crus for Chardonnay in all of Champagne and all Veritas-certified for sustainable agriculture. It is made primarily from the 2004 harvest with 10% 2001 reserve wine and more than three years on the lees after an all stainless-steel vinification. The aromatics of this Champagne are like polished white Burgundy with a touch of pine nut and minerals. The flavors are broad and rich. This is serious wine, with small bubbles and a refreshing finish. (Gary Westby, K&L Champagne Buyer)

Price: $34.99

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By: Doug Burress |  K&L Staff Member  |  Review Date: 9/1/2009  | Send Email
I am never happier than when I realize that I am about to open another bottle of the Launois Reserve! Even on nights when nothing sounds good to drink, I can always bring myself back to a happy place by remembering that there is another bottle of this waiting in the fridge. This is one of my favorite things to drink! The Reserve has a fresh nose of mineral and wet stone. A sip brings back more reasons why I love this wine. It is rich and powerful chardonnay from the very best vineyards in champagne. There are many tiny bubble streams that pour from the bottom of the glass and the finish is long, refreshing, and simply delightful! A bottle that may be odd-shaped and hard to store, but one that is worth rearranging things to find some space for!

By: Mari Keilman |  K&L Staff Member  |  Review Date: 8/29/2009  | Send Email
Vintage Launois is one of my favorite champagnes but with the word spreading of just how fantastic their vintage wines are, its sometimes hard to get your hands on one. This is where the Cuvee Reserve steps in as a noteworthy understudy. The Cuvee Reserve has an amazing richness with notes of apple and lemon zest on the palate and a elegant brioche finish.

By: Gary Westby |  K&L Staff Member  |  Review Date: 8/18/2009  | Send Email
Cinnamon and I paired this with some pork paté from the fatted calf in Napa before diving into some pork chops last night, and I was left wanting for nothing. This is a wine of depth, finesse and intrigue and yet is about as easy as it gets to drink without engaging the grey matter at all.

By: Doug Davidson |  K&L Staff Member  |  Review Date: 8/9/2009  | Send Email
This great Champagne is always a top pick of mine for anything from toasting a special occasion to starting a meal off right. It has beautiful aromatics of citrus and toasted brioche, with great texture and refreshing acidity. All that and a bottle that makes for a great presentation - what's not to like?

By: Kirk Walker |  K&L Staff Member  |  Review Date: 7/9/2009  | Send Email
It is hard to miss this wine with its great packaging, but more importantly it is the juice between the bubbles. Ever since I started working for K & L, first bottle I took home was this wine!, I have been a big fan. Broad rich on the palate with a great bead. The flavors lean towards white Burgundy, what's not to like?

 By: Lo Diggs |  Review Date: 5/31/2010 
Im happy to have tried this brillant Champaign and honestly it was the excellent packaging that made me attempt its genuine zest.

 By: Paeonia_9 |  Review Date: 12/31/2009 
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It's no wonder this is so popular! A crowd-pleaser that manages to be interesting enough to appeal to more experienced palates. Freshly cut Honeycrisp apple and buttery lemon curd with touches of light cream and brioche...on fairy wings. More, please!

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Additional Information:

Varietal:

Chardonnay

- It's hard to believe that up until about 30 years ago, this extremely popular varietal hid behind the veil of geographical names like Chablis and Puligny-Montrachet. Now grown all over the world and bottled by its varietal name, Chardonnay has achieved a level of branding unlike any other wine. Surprisingly, though, what you get when you buy Chardonnay can differ greatly from country to country and even within one country, depending on the climate where it's grown and how it is vinified and aged. From fresh, crisp and minerally with apple and lemon notes to rich and buttery with tropical fruit overtones, Chardonnay runs the gamut. In France's Burgundy, Chardonnay is the source of the prized wines of Chablis, Corton-Charlemagne, Mācon, Meursault and Montrachet. It also the foundation of exceptional Champagne, where it is blended with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier or vinified on its own into Blanc de Blancs. It is also extremely popular in California, and is gaining popularity in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain and South Africa.
Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them. Click for a list of bestselling items from all of France.
Sub-Region:

Champagne

- The French region of Champagne (comprised of the towns of Rheims, Epernay, and Ay) was the first region in the world to make sparkling wine in any quantity. Today, the name of the region is synonymous with the finest of all sparkling wines, and winemaking traditions of Champagne have become role models for sparkling wine producers, worldwide. Surprisingly, the region of Champagne is now responsible for only one bottle in 12 of all sparkling wine produced. Styles of champagne range from the basic brut (often blends of several vintages), single vintage champagnes, and rose. View our bestselling Champagne.
Alcohol Content (%): 12