Paul Launois is a house that continues to capture the attention of Champagne aficionados. Winemaker Julien Launois grew up in Le Mesnil, working with his father’s house, Champagne Jean-Pierre Launois, and also following in his footsteps – taking over his father’s gig as head for the local Le Mesnil co-op (quite the village honor) for a time. He headed out on his own in 2013, alongside his graphic designer and artist wife, Sarah. They bought a worn and aged home, winery, and cave compound – literally a handful of steps to the revered Clos du Mesnil vineyard – and launched their own brand under the name of their son, Paul. Today, after ample legwork that Julien and Sarah put in during the COVID-19 pandemic, the estate is thriving, quaint, and slowly becoming filled with some of the best Champagne in all the land! 

This wine – OK, every wine we’ve had from them – absolutely sings. They don’t make much, and haven’t been around all that long comparatively, but the impact they’ve already forged is quite profound. This is Illustration #4, based on the 2020 vintage, mostly features a huge amount of the winery’s reserves (86%) that rests for 2 years on the lees, with some of the wine developing added character through prolonged time in barrel. This is a beautiful expression of Grand Cru chardonnay from the best place in Champagne to grow it, Le Mesnil sur Oger. Zero dosage permits its Extra Brut designation and allows the wine to “more freely express the finesse of its aromas as well as the identity of the terroir,” according to the producer's website.

We are just absolutely thrilled about this wine – as we are with everything from Paul Launois. An orchestra of pears and peaches with coffee beans, rose petals, wildflowers, and lemon meringue develop on the initial whiff and sip, producing an effect that’s all at once grassy, fresh, and penetrating. Thyme and bay laurel, with pencil lead and struck flint, form the backbone of this rigid and multi-faceted wine, with a finish that turns lightly oxidative and expressively floral, bringing in high-toned notes of lilies and white oleander. This is deeply serious, wildly complex, fully intense bubbly in the best possible way. You can’t find it anywhere else in the USA, so dare we say…stock up while you can! We don’t have nearly as much as we’d like!