Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne NV: Fresh, light, crisp with fizzy aplenty; pear, apricot, citrus, baked bread, tasty minerality, very dry with nice acidity;
superb with food or as an aperitif. LP makes this predominantly with chardonnay grapes (chard 50%, pinot noir 35%, pinot meunier 15%) to achieve their “house style” of freshness, lightness, and elegance, a style they pioneered in the 1950s by using all stainless steel tanks for fermentation, thus capturing the ethereal essence of chardonnay. Laurent-Perrier is consistent producer of easily available, entry-level Champagne—entry level in the Champagne world being $40-plus, the next level is $100-plus. As every Champagne producer will eagerly tell you, it is not Champagne unless it is grown and made in the Champagne region of Burgundy using strict Champagne rules. There is some mildly tolerable stuff made in the United States that claims to be “champagne,” a quirk in the rules brought about by the United States not signing the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Yes, the world of wine can be that arcane and bizarre. If the wine was not made in Champagne using Champagne rules, please call it sparkling wine or cava (Spain) or spumante (Italy) or bubbly. It has long been curious that sparkling wines are not more popular except at New Year parties and weddings. When pressed, a majority of wine experts tell you if they could only enjoy one wine from now on, they would opt for sparkling. Great summer wine, great food wine, great first pour wine, great celebrate anything wine—including celebrating that you have some sparkling wine to celebrate with. $43 