Winemaker Notes
The wine is clear or pale with hints of green typical to the Chardonnay. The mousse is fine and regular with a pretty ribbon of strong bubbles. The first nose is both flowery and fruity, then comes notes of fresh nuts and fresh bread. In the finish there is citrus which brings a beautiful impression of smoothness and freshness. The attack is frank, associated with delicacy and roundness. The first impression is dominated with fresh white fruits (lemon and pear) and with flowers (acacia), followed by creamy notes. The finally is persistent on the citrus (candied grapefruit, tangerine and lemon) and minerality, bringing freshness and elegance to the wine.
As with all non-vintage sparkling wines, base vintages vary and specific base vintages cannot be requested.
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
The reserve wines bring a delicious, savoury sense of sourdough richness to fresh clementine, lemon and pale stone fruit, the tension of classic chalky villages still present but rounded out into a wine of impressive persistence. A benchmark NV Blanc de Blancs. 100% Chardonnay from grand cru villages in the Côte des Blancs. Based on the 2018 vintage with 50% reserves from a perpetual reserve going back to 1988.
-
James Suckling
Lemons, white grapefruit, fresh apricots and bread dough on the nose. It’s compact and creamy on the palate, with excellent balance and pleasant lemony freshness. Clean, bright finish.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
For an introduction into the range of Pierre Péters, the NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Cuvée de Réserve is the perfect choice. It's based on the incisive 2021 vintage and completed by a 50% component of the perpetual blend, aged in a variety of vessels (stainless steel tanks, large oak casks and concrete). This is the most floral wine in the range, wafting from the glass with aromas of honeysuckle, citrus fruit, acacia and beeswax. Shaped by the high-acid vintage profile, expect a bright, lightly structured Champagne laden with racy acids and a focused finish.
-
Wine Spectator
Fresh and lacyon the palate,with a beam of minerally chalk and saline under scoring flavors of Honey crisp apple, poached quince, verbena and biscuit.Lightly spiced and creamy on the finish.
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.’