Legras & Haas Champagne 'Les Sillons' Grand Cru Derriere des Partelaines Chouilly Brut Millesime 2012

This report is dedicated to the exclusive Blanc de Blancs Champagne Legras & Haas 'Les Sillons' Grand Cru 'Derrière des Partelaines' Brut Millésime 2012.

📜 The winery: Legras & Haas

Founded in 1991, the Legras & Haas family estate is dedicated to the authentic and high-quality production of champagne. The company's roots lie in Chouilly, the northernmost Grand Cru village of the Côte des Blancs. It was founded by François Legras and Brigitte Haas, whose passion for viticulture laid the foundations. Today, the next generation, the three brothers Rémi, Olivier and Jérôme Legras, continue the legacy with a clear philosophy: to pursue a rigorous quality policy without prejudice. The focus is on the powerful and mineral expressiveness of the Chardonnay from their home commune, of which they cultivate 18 hectares.

🌱 The location: The jewel 'Derrière des Partelaines'

The 'Les Sillons' is a parcel cuvée (from a single vineyard) that represents the pinnacle of the Legras & Haas collection.

• The soil: The grapes for this wine come from the small parcel 'Derrière des Partelaines' in the north-west of Chouilly. The soil here is the secret of the wine: it is characterised by chalk and older limestone deposits (belemnite and quadrata chalk), which are rich in minerals and excellent at retaining water. This terroir gives the wine its characteristic depth, minerality and salinity, which is emphasised in all the tasting notes.

• A rare rarity: 'Les Sillons' is a real rarity. Only 3,600 bottles of the 2012 vintage were produced (another source speaks of around 3,900 bottles ), which emphasises its exclusivity. Incidentally, the 2012 vintage was the first commercially released vintage of the 'Les Sillons' cuvée.

🍾 The wine: 'Les Sillons' 2012 - a sensory experience

Grape variety & ageing

The wine is madefrom 100% of the noble Chardonnaygrape variety The special feature is the careful ageing: after gentle pressing and cooling, the base wine is matured in large 20 hectolitre (hl) oak barrels. It matures for eight months in barriques, followed by 60 months of bottle fermentation on the lees, which gives it complexity and a creamy texture. The dosage value (added sugar) is 6.4 grams per litre, which classifies it as brut.

🍎 Tasting notes & reviews

The ratings for this champagne are consistently excellent. The following table summarises the top ratings from leading wine publications:

The tasting descriptions paint a picture of a complex and multi-layered wine:

• Colour: Fine, clear lemon yellow with a delicate perlage.

• Nose: The aroma is restrained, but reveals notes of exotic fruits and grapefruit. Descriptions of chalkiness, diesel petroleum notes, apples, pears, dried fruit and herbal notes are mentioned.

• Palate:The full potential unfolds on the palate: it is powerful, expressive and long on the finish, with a perfectly integrated woody note and an impressive minerality and salinity. Despite its power and youthful impetuosity, it is characterised by great elegance. The acidity structure is visible and gives the wine freshness and enormous ageing potential.

🍽️ Food recommendations

A wine of this class requires an equally refined accompaniment. We recommend:

• Fish dishes: A fillet of pike-perch with beurre-blanc sauce is a classic and excellent choice.

• Shellfish: A lobster salad harmonises perfectly with the salty minerality of Champagne.

• Hard cheese: The wine also goes perfectly with strong hard cheeses such as Mimolette, Comté or Parmesan.

📊 Important key data at a glance

• Alcohol content: 12.5 %

• Serving temperature: 8 °C

• Drinking age: The recommended drinking window is from around 2017 to 2035 .

💎 Conclusion & price

The Legras & Haas 'Les Sillons' Grand Cru 'Derrière des Partelaines' Brut Millésime 2012 is an impressive champagne that perfectly reflects the unique signature of its terroir. The high ratings from Gault&Millau (93/100), Vinum (18/20) and Tastingbook (92/100) emphasise its exceptional quality. With its mineral depth, powerful elegance and long finish, it is one of the best white wines in its class.