Solera May 2021. Disgorged November 2024. This is one of the most distinctive wines made in Champagne—a super-complex, fleshy and savoury (peppery, nutty) wine that is as delicious as it is fascinating. Les 7 is a single-parcel field blend from a plot in Chavot, planted by Thierry Laherte in 2003 to make use of the heirloom vines of Fromenteau, Arbanne and Petit Meslier already growing within the family’s oldest vineyard plots. The addition of Chardonnay and Pinots Noir, Meunier and Blanc have made a unique co-planting of Champagne’s seven permitted grape varieties.
The varieties were harvested and pressed together, and all fermentations were spontaneous. The wine was produced using a perpetual (or continuous) reserve stretching back to 2005. Each year, the blend is roughly 60% of the new-vintage wine (2021 for this bottling) with 40% of the reserve—so this release spans the harvests of 2005 to 2021. If you’re interested in Champagnes with genuine personality, this is a wine not to be missed.