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Champagne J. Lassalle Special Club Brut Premier Cru 2013 (Magnum 1.5L) Wine - Last Bottle

Champagne J. Lassalle Special Club Brut Premier Cru 2013 (Magnum 1.5L)

Large formats are better for aging long term – we all know that. But when it’s one of Champagne’s star female-led growers, who are members of the elite Special Club, it’s just better all around! 93 pts, too!

$229
$325

Retail

30
Flavor Profile: Crushed chalk, river rocks, spearmint, star jasmine, lemon, lime, and Granny Smith apple
Time on Lees: 108 Months
Dosage: 8 g/L
Farming Method: Sustainable Practices
Score: VN93, W&S93

Why We Love It...

The Special Club designation is awarded after a rigorous two-round testing period of Champagnes – once to taste the vin clairs one year in to ensure acid and sugar levels have the potential to make ageworthy wine, and that the vintage holds up, and then blind tastings after the secondary fermentation to determine if it’s Special Club worthy. It is a rigorous test, to be sure, and only around 28 producers are members. J. Lasalle is one of the few female-helmed member producers, so this is indeed special – and it’s in a magnum!

Today, Chigny-les-Roses is a postcard-perfect Champagne village in the Montagne de Reims, which produces some of our favorite Premier Cru bubbles. (Seriously, if you’re booking a trip to Champagne, make sure this village is one of your stops.) The J. Lassalle estate has grown to over 60 plots, covering about 16 hectares, planted to pinot meunier, chardonnay and pinot noir.

Champagne J. Lassalle was born during WWII, its very creation an act of defiance that showcases the spirit of Champagne’s vignerons. When Jules (the J of J. Lassalle) passed away in 1982, his widow, and then his daughter, and now his granddaughter, Angéline Templier, stepped up to lead this great house. Their now 28-year-old tradition of “une femme, un esprit, un style” ("one woman, one spirit, one style") has become a motto of the house, and these women are the modern-day warriors that revive the legends of the great Champagne matriarchs of centuries past.

For this particular submission that achieved the rare Special Club status, the blend is 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay – not a trace of pinot meunier to be had (regardless of Lassalle’s majority meunier plantings). The individual lots are fermented and aged separately, resting in barrel for anywhere from 8 to 10 months before blending and bottling. The time on the lees lasts for a full nine years – quite remarkable – with only about 550 cases total! 

This 2013 Brut is impeccably structured and focused, and showcases an intense and linear vein of minerality, and undeniable, overarching freshness. One would be hard pressed to guess 13 years  have passed since harvest. The aromas leap from the glass with crushed chalk, river rocks, and spearmint – all uplifted delicately by a whisper of delicate star jasmine. On the palate, crisp and cool citrus notes of lemon and lime appear, with a crunchy bite of Granny Smith apple for good measure. Far tighter and more mineral than the plusher 2012 vintage – this is a wine of sheer pedigree and bearing, and one that should develop fantastically over the next several years. And we’ve got this large format bottling for the best price in the USA!

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Technical Details

Country: France
Region: Champagne
Appellation: Montagne de Reims
Varietal: Champagne Blends
Blend: 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay
Winemaker: Chantal Decelle-Lassalle and Angéline Templier
Farming Method: Sustainable Practices
Alcohol: 12%
Pair it with: Yellowtail sashimi with yuzu koshu and ponzu

About the Producer

Champagne J. Lassalle, a revered name in the world of sparkling wines, traces its roots to the picturesque village of Chigny-les-Roses in the Champagne region of France. Founded by Jules Lassalle in 1942, this family-owned Champagne house has upheld a rich tradition of crafting exceptional, small-batch Champagne for over seven decades. Their unwavering commitment to quality, meticulous vineyard management, and a steadfast dedication to the art of blending have resulted in a portfolio of exquisite Brut and Vintage cuvées that showcase the true essence of Champagne terroir. Today, under the stewardship of the third generation, Champagne J. Lassalle continues to be celebrated for its distinctive, elegant, and finely crafted Champagnes.

Champagne J. Lassalle Special Club Brut Premier Cru 2013 (Magnum 1.5L)

$229
$325

Retail

30

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