The Lemaire family was rooted firmly in the village of Hautvillers – the birthplace of Champagne – at the end of the 1800s when Désiré Lemaire purchased the first of the Lemaire vineyards. He was a gardener and poet, who dreamed of making a name for his family in the world of fine Champagne. It was his grandson Roger Constant Lemaire, who ultimately achieved this vision, doubling the size of the estate in 1945 to 12 hectares, and relocating the family headquarters to Villers-sous-Châtillon, in the Marne Valley. (Today, the commune has merged to become Cœur-de-la-Vallée – a tri-village area that also includes Binson-et-Orquigny and Reuil.)

Roger’s sole focus was on producing their own Champagnes, blended from their own grapes grown in various plots to achieve a consistently high-quality product. His dedication to the craft swiftly made this a house to be reckoned with – a notion secured when his daughter, Brigitte, married the talented winemaker, Gilles Tournant, further increasing the house’s standing and quality. Today, it is Brigitte and Gilles’ sons, Sébastien and Guillaume, who run the house as the fifth generation, with a tradition of excellence now carved across the generations.

The brothers at the helm have chosen this Cuvée Trianon as the flagship of the estate – a blend of some 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay. Their goal is one of multiple parts: authenticity and terroir…so, the cuvee undergoes a native ferment, followed by the blocking of malolactic fermentation, and then avoiding such adjustments as fining or filtering. The wine ages for some 60 months on the lees before a 7 grams per liter dosage at disgorgement in February of last year. 

Beguiling floral aromas of acacia flowers, wisteria, and cherry blossoms lead the way, followed by vibrant flavors of green apples, and perfectly golden-brown puff pastry. Creamy and rich quince notes take shape in the glass soon after, followed by red apples, Meyer lemons, struck flint, and whispers of lime zest. A final herbal and spicy hint of lemongrass and ginger on the finish gives this an exotic quality that really makes it shine for a solid minute after each sip. It’s classy, harmoniously balanced, and beautifully proportioned stuff – even deserving of our competitor’s price of $135 a bottle. But thankfully, today at least, you don’t have to pay anywhere near that number. We got as much as we could – and the lion’s share of all that was allocated for North America, so don’t be shy… you’ll want to load up on this beauty! Plenty of life to drink over the next 5-10 years, too, so get more than you think you’ll need! I promise – one sip in – and you won’t regret it!