This is my fifteenth year as a wine writer/blogger, which I find a bit astounding. I am not sure why, but it boggles my mind. In those fourteen-plus years, I have been fortunate enough to experience more than I ever could have imagined. I have travelled to many of the world’s great wine regions (and a couple not so great), met countless incredible people, some of whom have become good friends, and I have tasted many, many wines.

In my own little wine world, however, not much surprises me at this point, which is both good and bad. Good, since I have come to know what to expect and I have fallen into a bit of a routine. Bad, well, for those same reasons; it is healthy, I feel, to have the unexpected happen once in a while, to add a little spice to life.

About two months ago, I received an email. In and of itself, it was not “newsworthy” as I receive anywhere from 200-500 emails a day. Most of them are junk, of course (I am still waiting to hear back from the wealthy Ethiopian prince), so weeding through them is a commitment. Before COVID, I would say that roughly 10% of said emails were of interest; folks looking to send me samples, “partnering” inquiries, press trip opportunities, and so forth.

After COVID? The wine world, at least the little sliver where I reside, has changed pretty dramatically. Now? Probably 99% of my emails are “questionable”. I have not been on a press trip since 2021(?), I used to receive around 50 samples a month (which has been reduced to 20% of that?), despite the fact that the traffic to my site has increased close to ten-fold (often much, much higher).

So what gives?

I really have no idea.

I do know that the wine industry, as a whole, is suffering right now; sales are down, as much as 30% for some folks, the anti-alcohol lobby has been gaining steam (more on that soon, hopefully?), and “expiring” older drinkers are not being replaced by younger consumers.

Grim.

That is what made an email I received back in February all the more interesting. On the surface, it was not much, relatively speaking, to wit:

I came across your blog and would love to put Laurent-Perrier on your radar if it already isn’t. I represent the House in the US covering PR & marketing, and would love to discuss ways that we can work together in the future.

My first thought? Is this a joke? My second? Wait. The Laurent-Perrier? As in one of the most revered houses in Champagne? And wait, Champagne?

As I have mentioned here in numerous posts, I get a lot, no a ton, of random emails proposing partnerships, putting forth press releases, suggesting “synergies” or some other such nonsense.

But this one stood out.

First, I rarely get emails from French producers–almost never. I have a few theories as to why. Please don’t get me wrong, I love France, I love French wines, and I try really, really hard to love the French (and I mostly succeed).

But.

In my fourteen-plus years of authoring this blog, I have determined that French producers (for the most part) do not particularly pay attention to small-to-mid(?)-sized American wine blogs.

But.

Here we have Laurent-Perrier. Freaking Laurent-Perrier. No doubt in just about everyone’s top-ten (or higher?) champagne producers, asking me (yes, little ol’ me) for some sort of partnership?

Um.

Duh.

I promise, my retort was (at least) slightly more eloquent, but as I alluded above, French wines (and more specifically, Champagne) were not beating down my front (blog) door for my opinions. And this request?

Humbled me. Almost to my core. Seriously. Champagne, at the risk of sounding millennial, is my jam. And Laurent-Perrier? L-P is near or at the apex of the Champagne world. Full stop.

[Editor’s note: Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Itération 23, is my highest rating wine ever(?) and I have no reservations about that assessment (99 Points).]

After my (hopefully) measured response, the unbelievebly kind folk at Laurent-Perrier sent me several bottles to consider.

But.

I had to start at the source, so I purchased a couple of bottles of Laurent-Perrier’s flagship wine, the Non-Vintage Larent-Perrier La Cuvée.

Yeah.

I can’t help but hope that this is the start of a wonderful relationship.

NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne La Cuvée Brut, Champagne, France: Retail $50-75. Extremely Heavy Bottle (830g; 29.2oz). Chardonnay +50%, Pinot Noir 30-35%, Meunier 10-15%. Dosage: 8-9 g/l. 4 years on lees. Brilliant straw to yellow in the glass with plenty of a lemon-lime fruit mélange at the fore and a fine, fervent, and festive sparkle. Behind that citrus magic is a healthy dose of vanilla meringue and fresh-baked brioche. There is also a decided salty aspect, not quite ocean air, but more of a salted caramel. The floral side is represented as well, with a subtle dose of white hyacinth and a touch of golden marigold. The palate is tart, even quite tart, but also lithe, both thanks to the predominance of Chardonnay, no doubt. That salinity comes through on the mid-palate, along with a healthy shot of citrus. The finish remains tart, but the autolytic component also makes an appearance, balancing out the healthy acidity. In my opinion? Even though this wine is meant to be consumed upon release, it could benefit from 2-5 years of cellar time as I feel Chardonnay-dominant champagnes need a bit of time to settle down. Still? This is a fantastic NV Brut, from one of Champagne’s Grandes Maisons. Excellent. 91 Points.