Laurent Perrier
Origins
Birth
The House of Laurent-Perrier was founded in 1812 by André Michel Pierlot and took the name Vve Laurent-Perrier when Mathilde Emilie Perrier, the widow of Eugène Laurent, combined the two family names after she decided to expand the business.
Eugénie Hortense Laurent, her daughter, inherited the House in 1925 and sold it to Marie-Louise Lanson de Nonancourt in 1939.
Rebirth
In 1939, Marie-Louise de Nonancourt, widow and mother of four children, mindful of their future, acquired the Domaine Laurent-Perrier.
During WWII, Marie-Louise Lanson de Nonancourt ran the business while two of her sons, Maurice and Bernard, joined the French Resistance. In 1945, Bernard de Nonancourt began an exacting apprenticeship, learning every aspect of winemaking from vine to cellar, before his appointment in October 1948 as Chairman and Chief Executive. At that point, the House was employing around 20 people and shipping 80,000 bottles a year.
Expansion
Fired by a passion for champagne, a respect for traditional values and, most importantly, for people, Bernard de Nonancourt inspired Laurent-Perrier with his independent spirit and creative audacity.
He established privileged working relationships with the grape growers and cleverly combined innovation and tradition. He created the signature Laurent-Perrier style of freshness, finesse and elegance and developed a unique range of champagnes which are today exported to more than 160 countries worldwide.
Innovator in Champagne
Laurent-Perrier is a family-owned House that has always had a pioneering and innovating role in Champagne. Through its engagement in Sustainable Viticulture of the Champagne vineyards and with each of its Cuvées, the House was created around 4 strong convictions:
The assemblage, not the vintage
Blending is the real secret of the Champagne region’s quality. Laurent-Perrier is the only House that’s most prestigious and exacting cuvée, Grand Siècle, is not vintage but numbered. It is an assemblage of 3 exceptional vintages in order to recreate the perfect year.
A unique and distinctive style: freshness, elegance and purity
These characteristics are present in each cuvée of the Laurent-Perrier range, always marked by aromatic complexity and exceptional fullness and length in the mouth.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the majority grape variety in all of the House’s wines, with the exception of Cuvée Rosé and Alexandra Rosé. The Chardonnay grape variety brings freshness, finesse and elegance to the assemblage, and makes the Laurent-Perrier style so distinct from other Houses.
The expression of Pinot Noir
Maceration depending on the harvest allows it to obtain unequalled aromas, revealing all the richness of the best Crus of Pinot Noir. Cuvée Rosé is the perfect illustration of this.
The People
The Founders of the Name
A former cooper and bottler in Chigny-les-Roses, André-Michel Pierlot settled in Tours-sur-Marne in 1812 as a négociant in the wines of Champagne. It was in this village, on plots named Les Plaisances and La Tour Glorieux that he founded what was later to become Laurent-Perrier. His son, Alphonse Pierlot, succeeded him and, not having any heirs, he subsequently bequeathed the House to his cellar master, Eugène Laurent.
Following his accidental death in 1887, Eugène’s widow, Mathilde Emilie Perrier, took the helm of the business and combined her own patronymic with that of her husband, naming the business «Veuve Laurent-Perrier». With her strong character and reputation for integrity, she developed the business, restored its finances, and masterfully kept the House going throughout the Great War. In 1889, in a contrarian move against current fashion, Laurent-Perrier launched its sugar-free “Grand Vin sans Sucre”, which was more attuned to its own preferences and those of its British customerse.
Eugénie-Hortense Laurent succeeded her mother in 1925. Hard-hit by the economic crisis between the Wars and heavily in debt, she sold the estate to Marie-Louise de Nonancourt in 1939.
The Builder
Bernard de Nonancourt dedicated his life to a single passion: Laurent-Perrier. His courage, convictions and energy transformed a small Champagne House purchased by his mother in 1939 into a global brand. Bernard de Nonancourt and his elder brother Maurice joined the French Resistance. Only Bernard survived and joined the Maquis underground, where he met the founder of the Emmaus movement, Abbé Pierre. Later on, he was assigned to General Leclerc’s 2nd Armoured Division (2ème DB).
When he returned, his mother insisted he undergo an apprenticeship to fully understand the business, being a vines labourer, cellar and office worker, and a sales representative. In October 1948, aged 28, he was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive of Laurent-Perrier. He was one of the rare owners of a Champagne House to have done all the jobs of his future employees.
Bernard de Nonancourt injected a dynamic momentum into the business. Keen on innovation, strongly attached to champagne traditions and to quality, he forged the commercial culture of Laurent-Perrier and created a renowned brand with a range of unique champagnes.
Up until his death on 29 October 2010, he made his vibrant stamp on the House of Laurent-Perrier, which will remain forever.
The Management Board
The success of Laurent-Perrier was also driven by the energy of the family of Bernard de Nonancourt, the initiator of the Laurent-Perrier style and range, now overseen by his two daughters, Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt and Stéphanie Meneux de Nonancourt. Their efforts are now focused on perpetuating his exacting standards and elegance and on preserving the independence of a House while asserting the epicurean vision of the brand. Alexandra and Stephanie are members of the Management Board, chaired by Stéphane Dalyac. Michel Fauconnet is Operations and Supply Director and Cellar Master.
The Cellar Master
A message from Michel Fauconnet, Laurent-Perrier’s third Cellar Master
«I was fortunate enough to be accepted as a trainee for a Champagne House with great ambitions and scope for expansion. I found the job fascinating: from the raw materials–grapes – you obtain a bottle of champagne. Forty years later, this transformation still enthrals me!
I got my experience from working from the bottom upwards over several years. I know every stage of production from having worked there: I was a cellarman from 1974 to 1976, a supervisor in 1977 and a foreman in 1981. I learned a lot about the technical side in the winery and have been Cellar Master and Production Manager since 2004. I took over from Alain Terrier, whose assistant I had been since 1983.
The job has changed enormously. The Cellar Master used to be the man who made the wine. These days, he also takes care of supplies. So he is responsible for the wine from vinification to bottling.
I have spent my entire career at this House and share its passion for champagne, and its values of exacting standards and perfectionism. My job is to make those vins de plaisir that are perfectly attuned to the spirit of the House of Laurent-Perrier.»
Grand Siécle Spirit
Lucie Pereyre, 4th generation dedicated to Grand Siècle.
Since end of 2010, the House of Laurent-Perrier has been managed by Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt and Stéphanie Meneux de Nonancourt, daughters of the emblematic Bernard de Nonancourt and since 2014 by Stéphane Dalyac, Chairman of the Management Board. This successful hand-over between generations has enabled the continuity of this independent family-owned house. In September 2019, Laurent-Perrier further strengthens itself with the arrival of Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt, Alexandra’s eldest daughter who is representing Grand Siècle in France and worldwide. She is training with the Cellar Master and the Production and Salesforce teams, thus becoming part of Laurent-Perrier’s innovative know-how.
Know How
Laurent Perrier Style
Bernard de Nonancourt created the Laurent-Perrier style: freshness, elegance and purity.
To do this, he revived and took over the traditional ways of champagne, but also launched new approaches at both technical and blending level. He created a range of unique wines with their own history and personality. Laurent-Perrier is now celebrated for its style and the consistency of its quality, cuvée after cuvée.
Stainless Steek Tanks
In the late 1960s, Laurent-Perrier was one of the few champagne houses to opt for the use of stainless steel tanks. By controlling the initial low temperature fermentation, these tanks preserve the freshness of the wine and the complexity of its aromas.
They were instrumental in the blossoming of the house style of freshness, finesse and elegance. Bernard de Nonancourt set out his ambition for Laurent-Perrier by building the first thermo-regulated winery. Fifty years down the road, his daughters Alexandra and Stéphanie have begun to renovate Laurent-Perrier’s facilities.
Single Vineyard Vinification
Alain Terrier, who was appointed Cellar Master in 1982, perfected the art of blending, in line with the ceaseless quest for excellence underpinning the spirit of Laurent-Perrier.
He selected grapes from the best sectors of the Champagne growing area, vinified each batch separately, and was an exacting task-master at the time of blending. This single vineyard vinification became part of the signature house style: worked separately, the wine from each vineyard offered the Cellar Master responsible for the blend a very broad array of aromas, terroirs and styles.
Assemblage is the Art of Champagne
In which Laurent-Perrier excels thanks to the expertise of the team led by Michel Fauconnet, 3rd Cellar Master since 1950.
At Laurent-Perrier, winemaking means selecting the best juice from the press, working with the three main Champagne varietals, Chardonnay mostly, Pinot Noir and Meunier, which is used solely in making “La Cuvée” and demi-sec “Harmony”.It also means choosing the still wines that will go to make up the final composition from the 319 villages in the Champagne AOC area including 17 Grands Crus and 44 Premiers Crus.To make wine is to achieve the perfect balance between a base year and reserve wines to recreate the characteristic Laurent-Perrier style each year.
Finally, it means ageing our Cuvées for long periods so that they are perfectly ready to enjoy as soon as they are released onto the market. Each of these stages, however important, can only be accomplished if we have the best grapes, which is why our long-standing partnerships with the region’s growers and cooperatives, often over several generations, are vital.
Bottles Reminiscent of Traditional Flacons
To show his champagnes at their best, Bernard de Nonancourt came up with the idea of offering some of them in unique, original types of bottle. Grand Siècle, for example, was the first elegantly refined bottle of the range, inspired by the hand-blown bottles initially made in the 17th century to contain the first champagnes.
The Estate, The House
In 1881, when Cellar Master Eugène Laurent inherited the Alphonse Pierlot Champagne House, he provided it with the essential foundations required to produce great champagnes, namely the houses and land to create a fully-fledged estate. He purchased vines in the very best terroirs of Bouzy, Tours-sur-Marne, and Ambonnay, excavated 800 metres of cellars, and set up a tasting laboratory.
That is how the Domaine Laurent-Perrier (the Estate) was anchored in Tours-sur-Marne. This picturesque village is ideally situated at the crossroads of the three main wine growing areas of the Marne département: the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs. It is also part of the 17 Champagne villages ranking in the prestigious ‘Grand Cru’ area.
Partner of Gastronomy
Laurent-Perrier’s history and that of gastronomy have always been intimately linked. Since the 1950s, Laurent-Perrier has developed a range of wines based on freshness, finesse and elegance to pair perfectly with French gastronomy, as an aperitif and throughout the meal.
Since then, Laurent-Perrier has always been able to accompany the key players in gastronomy and sublimate their creations.
Responsible and Committed
Since the 1980s, Champagne has been dedicated to implementing solutions to protect the environment.Today, the Champagne industry has the 2030 target of having 100% of certified surfaces, working in three main areas:
- the preservation and enhancement of land and landscapes,
- the management of effluent, waste and by-products,
- the reduction of the carbon footprint.
As part of its environmental strategy for the vineyard and for 100% of its parcels, the Laurent-Perrier Group obtained the Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne (SVC) and the High Environmental Value (HEV) certifications in February 2018. The Group controls its waste production, both related to wine production and product packaging, by promoting recycling. Laurent-Perrier also strives to minimize its consumption of water, electricity and gas at its production site.
The Wines
Cuvée Rosé
Chosen by the best
Since 1968, Laurent-Perrier has developed the mastery of a very particular and rare know-how in Champagne: maceration. This process makes it possible to obtain the richest and most subtle expression of Pinot Noir. This rosé champagne is characterized by its ripe red fruit aromas, a high intensity and great freshness
Maceration, Vinification and Blending
Grape varietal:
- Pinot Noir 100%
Crus:
- 10 different Crus located mainly in the South and North areas of the Montagne de Reims – including the finest Crus from the famous Côte de Bouzy – Ambonnay, Bouzy, Louvois and Tours-sur-Marne.
Maceration:
- The grapes from carefully selected plots are sorted and destemmed before vatting.
- The maceration – lasting from 48 to 72 hours depending on the harvest – helps the extraction of the colour and allows us to obtain unequalled aromas, revealing all the richness of the best Crus of Pinot No.
Sensory Characteristics
Elegant, with colour changing naturally from a pretty raspberry hue to salmon pink.
A precise nose of extraordinary freshness and a wide range of red fruits: raspberry, redcurrant, strawberry and black cherry.
A fresh and sharp attack for this supple and rounded wine. On the palate, it offers the sensation of plunging into a basket of freshly picked red berries.
Best served between 8°C and 10°C.
Wine/Food Parings
Thanks to its aromatic depth, this rosé champagne perfectly pairs with marinated raw fish, grilled prawns, exotic dishes, Parma ham and red fruit desserts. Those who are more daring will try it with Asian or Indian cuisine.
La Cuvée
The perfect balance
This wine comes from the purest grape juice and it alone allows Laurent-Perrier to craft «La Cuvée», a champagne of great finesse and a beautiful freshness obtained after a long ageing process in our cellars.
Laurent-Perrier’s style and personality are defined by its very high proportion of Chardonnay. Purity, freshness and elegance – essential characteristics, expressed in this champagne which embodies the spirit of the House.
Vinification, Blending and Ageing
For blending, only the musts of the Cuvée are used, so only 80% of the grape juice is extracted from pressing.
Grape varietals:
- a majority of Chardonnay, over 50%.
- Pinot Noir, between 30% and 35%.
- rounded out with Meunier, between 10% and 15%.
- + Reserve wines between 15% and 30%* to ensure perfect consistency in style.
Crus:
- «La Cuvée» is a blend made from over 100 Crus* selected by Laurent-Perrier.
- «La Cuvée» benefits from an ideal ageing of around 4 years in the cellar. Its balance and freshness are enhanced by a light dosage.
Sensory Characteristics
A pale gold colour. Fine bubbles feed a persistent mousse.
A delicate nose with hints of fresh citrus and white flowers.
The wine’s complexity is expressed in successive notes such as those of vine peach and white fruit. A perfect balance between freshness and delicacy with fruity flavours very present on the finish.
Best served between 8°C and 10°C.
*These quantitative data may vary and are given for illustrative purposes.
Wine/Food Parings
Laurent-Perrier «La Cuvée» is the perfect champagne for an aperitif. Its citrus and white fruit notes and its remarkable balance, supported by a subtle effervescence, make it an ideal accompaniment to poultry and the finest fish.
Harmony
Swetness and delicacy
Harmony benefits from a majority of Chardonnay, supplemented by Pinot Noir and Meunier, and prolonged ageing in cellars. Its dosage of 40g/L of cane sugar gives this Demi-Sec champagne roundness and delicacy for a perfect combination with sweet/savoury dishes and desserts.
Vinification, Blending and Ageing
Grape varietals:
- Chardonnay 45%*
- Pinot Noir 40%*
- Meunier 15%*
- + Reserve wines at least 10% and sometimes over 20%* to ensure perfect consistency in the Demi-Sec.
Crus:
- More than 55 Crus* used in its composition.
Dosage: 40g/L. The wine is dosed with a liqueur made up from cane sugar dissolved in wine from the same cuvée. Ageing: 3 years.
Sensory Characteristics
Brilliant golden yellow in colour.
An intense and rich nose with notes of dried fruit (almonds and hazelnuts) as well as toasted or grilled aromas. After a few years of ageing, the nose evolves towards deeper notes of honey and pine resin.
Full-bodied and generous, it is a rich wine with a rounded feel.
Best served between 6°C and 8°C.
*These quantitative data may vary and are given for illustrative purposes.
Wine/Food Parings
This Demi-Sec champagne sublimates creamy blue cheeses, Asian and Indian cuisine, sweet and savory dishes and goes particularly well with deserts and pastries.