Maison Lenique Grand Cru 2006 Tasting Notes

Champagne Grand Cru 2001 

The Appellation system in the Champagne region is different from other areas of France as it is the village rather than the vineyard that is designated Premier or Grand Cru.  There are only 17 Grand Cru villages and foremost amongst these is Mesnil-sur-Oger where our exclusive Grand Cru grapes are grown.  Our winemaker, Bertrand Robinet, was born here and comes from a long line of viticulteurs, so he knows a bit about Grand Cru champagne, and it is his experienced hands that carefully cultivate the vines and make your wine.

Our exclusive Grand Cru champagne this year is from the 2001 vintage.  Fortunately for us, Bertrand had completed his harvest before the rains came in, and the result is a classic champagne characterised by elegance and finesse with an intensity of flavour which comes from the low-yielding vines on this very special site.

The champagne has now spent four years maturing on its lees in the calm of Bertrand’s cellar. The key elements in champagne production are high acidity coupled with low pH, and this was evident in the base wines for 2001. This wine is made from pure Chardonnay grapes, which give it a lightness and freshness not found in blended wines.  Add some toasty notes from the lees’ ageing, and with fine, persistent bubbles showing it all off to perfection, we think that you will enjoy the final result. 

We were delighted that for the third year in a row our champagne was awarded a Seal of Approval at the International Wine Challenge last year.  Despite the fact that it is an exclusive wine made in very small quantities, it was still one of the least expensive champagnes to receive such an award.