2009 Champagne Lanson, Le Clos Lanson, Blanc de Blancs, Brut
Critics reviews
Clos Lanson is unusual for making a vintage every year because this 1ha pure Chardonnay plot is in a warm, early-ripening location. Even visually it looks wonderfully bright, greengage/pale silver in colour, with a silky texture and fresh aromatics of apricot blossom and citrus zest. On the palate, you get quince, apricot pit, stone fruits, citrus, white truffle and honeysuckle, just gorgeous layers with grip, tension, and a natural richness that allows them to keep dosage on the low side.
Full of generosity and finesse, this will easily last at least another decade. As it opens, walnut, frangipane and flaky pastry notes appear, and it grips on. First time on the Place for this wine. Tasted twice. Winemaker Hervé Dantan. 3g/l dosage, disgorged May 2022, so this will benefit from another year in bottle. They are releasing the 2009 before the cooler 2008 vintage. Vinified in Agonne-forest barrels (the only Lanson cuvée to do so), no new oak, 12 years ageing in cellars.
Drink 2023 - 2040
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (August 2022)
The 2009 Brut Blanc de Blancs Clos Lanson is showing beautifully, mingling aromas of pear, green apple and citrus oil with hints of fresh pastry, sourdough and nutmeg. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's deep and incisive, with lovely tension and chalky back-end grip, concluding with a long and penetrating finish. 2009 marks the third vintage of biodynamic farming for this small, one-hectare vineyard.
Drink 2020 - 2040
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (July 2020)
From Lanson's special one-hectare Chardonnay vineyard in the middle of Reims. Vinified in oak barrels – no malo – and aged for 12 years before disgorgement in May 2022 with a dosage of 3 g/l. Very heavy bottle! I hope they are now using lighter ones …
Pale straw. Really intense nose and a most unusual mix of the high acidity of youth with a very mature nose (2009 was of course very ripe). Very interesting wine with more than a hint of white burgundy, even a vague suggestion of Corton-Charlemagne. Really rather delicious! A great wine at the table, I should imagine. Very distinctive. And really exciting on the finish. Really spreads across the palate.
Drink 2023 - 2031
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (December 2023)
This year, a new addition to the Place de Bordeaux from the 1ha-walled Chardonnay vineyard in the centre of Reims. A gorgeous toasted buttery nose filled with hazelnuts, lemon rind, orange skin and acaia - all subtly combined but giving complexity and nuance. Instantly salivating on the palate, buttery yet delicate in power and heaviness. Generous, with a velvet sensation to the bubbles and a slightly chalky finish. Bright and lifted - a joyous combination of citrus - lemon and orange acidity, honeysuckle flowers and stone fruits, balanced by a touch of bitterness and a hint of salty minerality.
Such complexity and overall enjoyment are to be found here - utterly charming and confident simultaneously. The flavours envelop the mouth, yet the general expression is finessed and elegant. Drink now (in a wine glass) to savour the fresh zestiness or cellar for decades. Limited production of 7,000 bottles. Aged 12 years on the lees. Disgorged May 2022. 3g/l dosage. The cooler 2008 vintage will be released after this.
Drink 2023 - 2050
Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com (July 2022)
About this WINE
Lanson
Lanson is one of the oldest Houses in Champagne having been established in 1760 by Francois Delamotte. After a very brief tenureship under LVMH Lanson was bought (minus the vineyards) by Marne et Champagne.
Lanson has had, shall we say, a rather colourful history. One thing, however, has stayed constant, namely the House's commitment to a style which involves the suppression of the malolactic fermentation with a concomitant purity and honesty evidenced in its flavour profile. Now, with the quality of the fruit improved, the ownership secure and the ageing régime lengthened, the results are impressive indeed. Orchard fruit with a steely, flinty backdrop, then hints of sherbet, meringue and biscuit, a generous mousse, and a rich finish.
Its Non Vintage Black label Brut Champagne is a blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier.
Blanc de Blancs
In Champagne, the term Blanc de Blancs designates Champagnes made only from Chardonnay grapes. The vineyards located between Cramant and Mesnil-sur-Oger in Côte des Blancs yield the best examples of the style.
A classic Blanc de Blancs is restrained and elegant when young, yet with ageing it develops a mouth-coating brioche richness that overlays an intense expression of fruitiness. Blanc de Blancs are endowed with longer ageing potential than a typical Blanc de Noirs.
Recommended Producers: Salon, Billecart Salmon, Jacques Selosse, Dom Ruinart, Krug, Le Mesnil Grand Cru, Guy Larmandier
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Clos Lanson is unusual for making a vintage every year because this 1ha pure Chardonnay plot is in a warm, early-ripening location. Even visually it looks wonderfully bright, greengage/pale silver in colour, with a silky texture and fresh aromatics of apricot blossom and citrus zest. On the palate, you get quince, apricot pit, stone fruits, citrus, white truffle and honeysuckle, just gorgeous layers with grip, tension, and a natural richness that allows them to keep dosage on the low side.
Full of generosity and finesse, this will easily last at least another decade. As it opens, walnut, frangipane and flaky pastry notes appear, and it grips on. First time on the Place for this wine. Tasted twice. Winemaker Hervé Dantan. 3g/l dosage, disgorged May 2022, so this will benefit from another year in bottle. They are releasing the 2009 before the cooler 2008 vintage. Vinified in Agonne-forest barrels (the only Lanson cuvée to do so), no new oak, 12 years ageing in cellars.
Drink 2023 - 2040
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (August 2022)
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