NV Laherte Freres, Ultradition, Extra Brut

The Lahertes own ten hectares of vines, spread over an astonishing 75 parcels in ten different villages. These fall in the communes of Chavot, Courcourt, Moussy, Vaudancourt, Mancy and Epernay. Aurélien Laherte is particularly interested in natural viticulture, and since 2005, five hectares of the estate have been farmed biodynamically. The other five are essentially organic, worked without any chemical pesticides or herbicides.

The Ultradition is from eight different parcels across the Coteaux Sud d’Épernay and Vallée de la Marne. The blend of 60% Meunier, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir represents the diversity of the estate’s plantings. Some 40% of the blend these days is drawn from the two preceding vintages. The juice naturally ferments in a mixture of vessels, including two 50-hectolitre Rousseau tronconique casks (truncated cone vats), old barrels, foudre and concrete. Regardless of vessel, the wines are always aged on lees, and there is partial malolactic conversion (around 60-70% on average). Based on the 2021 vintage with 40% reserve wines from 2020 and 2019, this bottling was disgorged with a dosage of 4.5 g/L (extra brut).