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- CountryFrance
- RegionChampagne
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Laherte Frères Les 7 Extra Brut Champagne NV
- VintageNV
- VarietyChampagne Blends
- AppellationChampagne
Even after eight generations of wine growing in the Chavot village of Champagne, Laherte Frères is pushing the boundaries of what grower Champagne can be with innovative ideas around growing and vinifying. Led by Aurélien Laherte since 2005, the brand is part of a small group of progressive producers taking a more natural, terroir-focused approach in the region to create Champagnes that reflect the land rather than the "house palate."
While Aurélien is heading up the brand today, he is by no means the first in his family to go outside the norm of winemaking and winegrowing in Champagne. When fourth-generation Michel Laherte and his wife, Cécile, took the reins, they implemented new technologies and equipment in the winery while adopting more sustainable, soil health-focused vineyard management tactics, such as eliminating pesticides and herbicides. Their plan has remained the producer’s North Star, unchanged to this day, with the family farming their 10.5 hectares of vineyards (comprising over 75 different parcels) using a combination of biodynamic, certified organic, and sustainable techniques.
As you can imagine, having farmed land since 1889, the Laherte family vineyards have been split and divided time and again under the French inheritance laws, resulting in aunts, uncles, and cousins all owning various parcels. To continue producing Champagnes using the family's fruit, Aurélien became a négociant, allowing him to purchase fruit from his family members for use in the Laherte Frères cuvées. However, they all work together as a team when it comes to farming the vines. Throughout the year, the aunts, uncles, and cousins, along with Aurélien, use a lunar calendar to farm, employing techniques like plant infusions, indigenous plant cover crops, reducing plowing, and restrictive pruning. The Les 7 single-vineyard Champagne is sourced from a plot planted initially by Thierry Laherte (Aurélien's dad) in 2003 as an homage to the seven traditional grapes of Champagne. Rather than using a tractor, they put the family horse to work in this small parcel.
The harvest make-up comprised 18% Chardonnay, 18% Pinot Meunier, 17% Pinot Blanc, 15% Petit Meslier, 14% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Gris, and 8% Arbane. The vin clair (uncarbonated base wine that becomes Champagne) aged for six months in neutral Burgundy barrels with regular lees stirring, with no malolactic fermentation occurring. Before bottling, Aurélien blended this 2021 base wine with 40% of a solera wine that Thierry started in 2005 when he first harvested the parcel. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered, with a 2.5g/L dosage for secondary fermentation, which lasted over 24-30 months. Aurélien notes, "The resulting wine is dense, rich, racy, and endlessly pleasing."
While Aurélien is heading up the brand today, he is by no means the first in his family to go outside the norm of winemaking and winegrowing in Champagne. When fourth-generation Michel Laherte and his wife, Cécile, took the reins, they implemented new technologies and equipment in the winery while adopting more sustainable, soil health-focused vineyard management tactics, such as eliminating pesticides and herbicides. Their plan has remained the producer’s North Star, unchanged to this day, with the family farming their 10.5 hectares of vineyards (comprising over 75 different parcels) using a combination of biodynamic, certified organic, and sustainable techniques.
As you can imagine, having farmed land since 1889, the Laherte family vineyards have been split and divided time and again under the French inheritance laws, resulting in aunts, uncles, and cousins all owning various parcels. To continue producing Champagnes using the family's fruit, Aurélien became a négociant, allowing him to purchase fruit from his family members for use in the Laherte Frères cuvées. However, they all work together as a team when it comes to farming the vines. Throughout the year, the aunts, uncles, and cousins, along with Aurélien, use a lunar calendar to farm, employing techniques like plant infusions, indigenous plant cover crops, reducing plowing, and restrictive pruning. The Les 7 single-vineyard Champagne is sourced from a plot planted initially by Thierry Laherte (Aurélien's dad) in 2003 as an homage to the seven traditional grapes of Champagne. Rather than using a tractor, they put the family horse to work in this small parcel.
The harvest make-up comprised 18% Chardonnay, 18% Pinot Meunier, 17% Pinot Blanc, 15% Petit Meslier, 14% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Gris, and 8% Arbane. The vin clair (uncarbonated base wine that becomes Champagne) aged for six months in neutral Burgundy barrels with regular lees stirring, with no malolactic fermentation occurring. Before bottling, Aurélien blended this 2021 base wine with 40% of a solera wine that Thierry started in 2005 when he first harvested the parcel. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered, with a 2.5g/L dosage for secondary fermentation, which lasted over 24-30 months. Aurélien notes, "The resulting wine is dense, rich, racy, and endlessly pleasing."
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- CountryFrance
- RegionChampagne
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