Champagne Laurent-Perrier, Grand Siècle, Les Réserves, No. 20, Brut

54% Chardonnay and 46% Pinot Noir. A blend of 1999, 1997, 1996. 21 years on the lees. 7g/L dosage. Only a few 100 magnums.

This is a beautifully complex wine. Flinty, even smoky on the nose, with preserved lemon, quince, smoked almond, sea urchin, olive and white pepper, as well as some mushroom, pie crust and salted caramel. Energetic, yet with a dense and oily palate. Lots of power. Sleek bubbles. So many layers to ponder over, with a long, umami finish. It’s Montrachet in nature and greatness. Love the roundness to the texture. Unique.

Drink on release or hold.

Les Réserves was born when Bernard de Nonancourt's daughter, Lucie Pereyre's mother, found some magnums and jeroboams of Grand Siècle No 17 in the Laurent-Perrier cellar after her father died in 2010 and they wanted to celebrate the house's bicentenary in 2012. This release, to be offered in October 2022, available in magnums only, is essentially long-aged Grand Siècle No 20, which was 60% 1999 and roughly 20% apiece of 1997 and 1996. The final blend was 54% Chardonnay, 46% Pinot Noir, made up of eight grands crus.

I was lucky enough to taste Laurent-Perrier's vintage champagnes 1999 and 1997 not that long before tasting this blend which is so much more complex and intense – as well as much fresher. Quite a feat! The wine is just this side of toasty but has massive impact and almost suggests some torrefaction. This is extremely vivacious while still being bone dry. Pungent with a hint of caramel but also lime – that's how broad the spectrum of flavours is. Very, very complete. Satisfying, revitalising – what I'd call a sore-throat wine, so intense is its finish. Difficult to see how anyone would be disappointed by this, the essence of Grand Siècle.

Drink now to 2030.

The NV Grande Cuvée Grand Siècle No. 20 Les Resérves magnum) is a Champagne of density and power, one where the elements have become wonderfully fused together over time such that nothing in particular stands out. Instead, the wine's overall balance is what stands out most. Peach, apricot pit, dried flowers, chamomile and pastry open first, framed by strong reductive notes that add character. The intensity of the fruit nearly covers the mousse, resulting in a Champagne that is decidedly vinous in feel.

Drink 2024 - 2039

A blend of the 1999 60%), 1997 20%) and 1996 20%) vintages, the NV Brut Grand Siècle Les Réserves 20 is the latest wine to be released in Laurent-Perrier's magnum-only late disgorgement program. Wafting from the glass with complex aromas of confit citrus, toasted nuts, tangerine, clear honey, iodine, buttery pastry and espresso, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and incisive, with a deep, complete core of fruit, racy acids and a long, saline finish. The rich, gourmand 1999 base vintage is lent cut and structure by 1997 and 1996 to deliver a Champagne that is clearly more than the sum of its parts.

Drink now to 2042

Sourced from grands crus only, this Chardonnay-dominant wine is a blend of the 1996, 1997 and 1999 vintages, aged under cork for 21 years and disgorged with a dosage of 7g/L.

Subtle chamomile and dried bergamot peel notes appear first on the nose, followed by a lift of lemon and stone. Unusually fragrant, this is clearly evolved but far removed from the usual tertiary flavours of mature Champagne. This is a sublimation of citrus, herb and chalk. The palate has edges of beeswax but with an incredibly sprightly and fine mousse and utter freshness. It is a picture of ageless grace, so zesty, creamy, bright, and so very chalky. Lemon shines long on this complete outlier with its profound, light, tonic-like body and uncommonly fragrant nature.

Drink 2023 - 2040

The NV Champagne Grand Siècle Grand Cuvée No. 20 will be released later this year or in early 2023. It is from three vintages – 1999, which was a vintage of finesse and elegance; 1997, which contributes tension and focus; and 1996, a powerful vintage included in a bit lower proportion so as not to overwhelm the other two in the blend. It has 6 grams per litre of dosage.

Layered and complex, it is a great way to see a wine with more maturity, with both savoury and fresh perfume of flint, custard, lemon verbena, and apricot, and it t is fresh on the palate with pear, lime pith, and a rich, chalky texture. Though I somewhat prefer the refinement of the 23 and the balance of the 25, this offers a wonderful opportunity to have something to drink now while waiting for the others to show their full scope.