NV Laherte Freres Rose de Meunière Extra Brut

Aurélien Laherte is a rising star amongst the new generation of Champagne vignerons. He takes a "natural" approach to grape growing and winemaking. The vineyards are cultivated biodynamically, and the wines are made with a deft touch to celebrate the unique terroirs that Aurélien cultivates. The winery is labelled as a negociant, but all grapes are either grown on the estate or purchased from the vineyards held by his aunts, uncles, and cousins. His style is very mineral driven, with a bracing acidity and low dosage. 

The Laherte family has a long history in the region. Founded in 1889 by Jean-Baptiste Laherte, the estate was originally made up of vines primarily in the village of Chavot. Fourth generation vigneron Michel Laherte expanded the family estate which then covered about five hectares. With his wife Cécile, the two young vignerons modernized the press and tanks, but soon realized that too much modernity such as the use of herbicides and pesticides would prevent full terroir expression in the wines. They began working the soils, gently vinifying the juices, and remaining humble and patient as the wines developed. This philosophy is the foundation of the estate and has endured through the generations.

Today, under the direction of Aurélien Laherte who took over in 2005, the estate has become one of the most progressive and dynamic rising stars in the appellation. Like many of Champagne's top practitioners, the estate has begun to produce a series of tiny production, single-vineyard, single vintage cuvees (around 3,000 bottles each) from some of their most unique and expressive biodynamically-farmed parcels. These wines are all vinified in used Burgundy barrels, without malolactic fermentation, and are bottled without fining and filtration. They are then finished with little or no dosage so as to not mask the individuality of the underlying terroirs.

But the mainstay of the Laherte range is the Ultradition lineup consisting of Brut, Extra Brut and Rosé. Aurelien knows that these flagship cuvées are the introduction to his family's estate and to the village of Chavot, and thus, need to reflect quality and extreme value. The introduction of the racy and mineral-driven Blanc de Blanc Brut Nature (from his chalkiest soils in and around Chavot) and the bright and thirst-quenching Rosé de Meunier -- both with fanciful, floral labels -- are a nod to the dynamic direction in which Aurélien has taken in the last decade.