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Benoit Lahaye Champagne Brut Violaine NV

$129.99
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Lahaye's unsulfured bottling, a 50/50 Pinot/Chardonnay blend, is an example of why the hard work of Sans Soufre bottlings can be worth it. Pure, complex and simply incredible.

Benoit Lahaye has made small quantities of his delicious Champagne from his family vines, which he has farmed without pesticides since the mid-'90s. He began to go organic in 1996, has been certified organic since 2007 and biodynamic since 2010. Today he plows with a horse.

It all sounds almost like a cliché of the natural winemaker. But the wines are anything but clichéd. The farming has allowed him to achieve ripeness levels that he says would otherwise be impossible. That in turn allows him to make wines lower in dosage (and even Brut Nature) that express themselves purely without sacrificing any of their pretty charm.

In fact, while the Lahaye wines are beautiful expressions of their Montagne de Reims terroir, they also have the spectacularly drinkable character that the French call "buvabilité." These are wines that you could contemplate, but will find yourself drinking. Very happily.

Of course, quantities are very small. With only 4.8 hectares and a huge following in France we get very little Lahaye in America. And we seem to be getting less all the time. But they are absolutely wines worth searching out.

Professional Reviews

Antonio Galloni

AG 92
"Light, bright gold. Pungent citrus pith and cherry pit scents are complemented by notes of anise, yellow rose and smoky minerals. Chewy and light on its feet, offering bitter citrus and quinine flavors that gain flesh and power with air. The mineral nuance comes back emphatically on the finish, which leaves a dusty, chalky note behind. This nervy zero-dosage Champagne was made from biodynamically grown grapes and without the addition of sulfur." -Josh Raynold

Robert Parker

RP 91
"Exactly from the border between Bouzy and Tauxières and composed of 50% Tauxières Chardonnay grown on very shallow chalk soils and 50% generous Bouzy Pinot Noir (all fermented in oak), the actual NV Brut Nature Violaine (Disg. 1/2018) is based on the 2013 harvest and offers a deep bouquet of ripe fruit aromas along with creamy flavors. Pure and fresh on the palate, this is a stunningly lean and linear cuvée with a very chalky-mineral and a bit austere yet tensioned finish due to the Chardonnay part. The wine reflects the highly energetic potential of the 2013 vintage but also its origins. The Violaine needs some months of aging after the disgorgement, which was in January 2018. No added sulfur." -Robert Parker

Details

  • Grape Variety

    Chardonnay , Pinot Noir

  • Vintage

    NV

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Biodynamic

  • Style

    Elegant

  • Sweetness

    Champagne Brut , Dry

  • Body

    Medium Bodied