Laurent-Perrier "Grand Siècle" Iteration #27 Brut Champagne

Pouring a bright silver-yellow hue, the NV Champagne Grand Siècle Iteration No. 27 is very pretty on the nose, with notes of wet stone, delicate smokiness, apricot, and lavender. Medium-bodied, it’s long on the palate, with silky complexity and pillowy mousse, offering key lime, lemon meringue, green apples, and a salty spice. With its silky, long finish, it reveals a sunny but refined elegance and is a very pretty edition. The complementary vintages are a blend of 2015, 2013, and 2012, with 65% from 2015 and 10% from 2012. The blend is 60/40 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sourced from Mesnil-sur-Oger. Drink 2027-2057. It is less obvious than No. 26, but it has a lot of delicate almond and tertiary nuances hiding underneath. (AF)

The Grand Siècle from Laurent Perrier is true tête de cuvée; the tiny amount of this wine is selected out from only the very best parcels and vintages of their quite large production. The tank room for the reserve wines is smaller than my living room! The 27th iteration is an audacious blend of three vintages: 2015, the hottest in history up to that point, 2013, the only cold October harvest of my career in champagne and 2012, the “has it all” vintage to tie it all together. This wines 10 years on the lees has given it a classy, subtle brioche frame, but the star of the show is the freshness and the high-quality citrus fruit. I love the Puligny like lime and rich Meyer lemon in this wine. We paired it at home with stuffed avocados and the spicy tuna brought out the cut and highlighted the minerality of this delicious champagne.