Winemaker Notes
Beginning in 2013, Bertrand began to radically extend the élevage of Perle from eight months in tank to two to three years, and consequently shorten the time on the lees in bottle from four years to 18-30 months (first disgorgement is at 18 months, the last is at 30 months, and there can be as many as six disgorgements).
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Like a piece of fine china, there’s a delicacy to this vibrant, focused Champagne, with precision to its integration of chiseled acidity. Offers flavors of ripe yellow plum, apricot, lemon curd and salted Marcona almond. Fine and lacy in texture, with the minerally underpinning coming to the fore on the lasting finish.
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Vinous
The NV Blanc de Blancs Perle is a Champagne of weight and density. Marzipan lemon confit, spice, almond and dried flowers build nicely, filling in the mid-palate and leading to the soft, creamy finish. The Perle is an incredibly seductive Champagne.
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Wine & Spirits
Bertrand Lilbert makes this wine from his old vines in Cramant, Chouilly and Oiry, aging the base wine in tank for up to three years, with a shorter rest on the lees in bottle (his first disgorgement is after 18 months, his last at 30 months; this wine, disgorged in December of 2021, is based on the 2017 vintage, with 25 percent from 2016). It’s a distinctive take on Côte des Blancs chardonnay, the pale fruit layering scents of spring blossoms and meadow honey over fresh notes of cream. Toast and lime zest complete the spectrum of flavor, with floral scents that seem to come directly from the lees.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Disgorged in April 2024 with a dosage of three grams per liter, Lilbert’s NV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Perle is crafted from a third of 2019 and a third of 2018, complemented by a perpetual blend initiated in the 1980s. Just like Bertrand Lilbert’s regular NV Blanc de Blancs, it is heavily based on Cramant, with the remainder coming from Chouilly and Oiry. However, it spends a year longer on the fine lees in tank and is then made with a lower-pressure than traditional Champagnes, delivering four atmospheres instead of the standard six, by adding a solution with just 16 grams of sugar per liter instead of 24, as four grams of sugar per liter produces one atmosphere of pressure. Opening in the glass with scents of hazelnut, honeysuckle, smoke and brioche, it is more generously structured and vinous than the regular non-vintage cuvée, informed by the quality and personality of the base vintages.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’