NV Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle No. 25 Champagne

99 POINTS

Stuart Pigott

Incredible aromas of apple skin, pie crust, praline and flowers. So young in the nose. Full-bodied with super-fine tannins. It’s tight and refined, yet structured and intense. Really long and beautiful. Still shy. Wonderful finish. 12 years on its lees before disgorging. Three vintages in the blend – 2008 (65%), 2007 (25%) and 2006 (10%). 60% chardonnay and 40% pinot noir. It’s the highest percentage of chardonnay ever.

99 POINTS

James Suckling

A prestige Champagne with great density and depth, yet it remains compact and structured, with a combination of fine phenolics, acidity and extract. Lots of flavors of lemon rind, salt, mineral and honeysuckle with an attractive fresh-herb undertone. Then it turns to candied lemons with some ginger. A triumph in complexity and power. A blend of 2008, 2007 and 2006. 60% chardonnay and 40% pinot noir. 7g/L dosage. Drink or hold.

97 POINTS

William Kelley - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

A blend of the 2008, 2007 and 2006 vintages, with fully 55% deriving from 2008, Laurent-Perrier's NV Brut Grand Siècle #25 is coming into its own today, bursting from the glass with scents of nectarine, pear, orange oil and confit citrus mingled with notions of buttery pastry, brioche, iodine, dried white flowers and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and incisive, with a fleshy core of fruit girdled by racy acids and animated by a pretty pinpoint mousse, it's seamless and harmonious, concluding with a long, penetrating finish.

97 POINTS

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Laurent-Perrier's imminently released NV Brut Grand Siècle #25 is showing beautifully, unwinding in the glass with an incipiently complex bouquet of pear, crisp stone fruit and mandarin mingled with hints of smoke, buttered toast and dried white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, layered and textural, with a fleshy core of fruit, terrific concentration and a racy spine of acidity, it's a deep, comparatively structured wine that will evolve beautifully in the cellar. As I've written before, this iteration is a blend of the 2008, 2007 and 2006 vintages, with 2008 lending #25 its depth and structure, 2007 contributing additional cut and 2006 additional richness. While the #25 exemplifies the seamless charm of this bottling, it's also one of the best propositions for long-term cellaring among recent renditions of Grand Siècle, and it will really reward time on cork.

97 POINTS

Falstaff

Pale golden yellow, silver reflections, fine, persistent mousse. Fine notes of yellow tropical fruit, underpinned by cookie and a hint of citrus zest, mineral and fresh, attractive bouquet. Complex on the palate, very elegant and harmonious, notes of white peach, lively structure, salty touch on the finish, taut and, in terms of residual sugar, on the cool, dry and yet vinous side. Shows very good length and assured certain ageing potential, can be used both as a fine aperitif and as a food companion. Another masterpiece for the 25th anniversary of this cuvée, which was first produced in 1959, and not just thanks to the share from the fantastic 2008 vintage. (Vintage blend: 2006, 2007, 2008).

97 POINTS

Anne Krebiehl MW - Falstaff

Based on the vintages 2008, 2007 and 2006. The scent of apricot blends with candied lemon, like fresh Viennoiserie glazed with apricot jam. This is followed by an airy, spicy note of ozone. The palate also expresses this wonderful, yellow-fruited intensity but clothes it in a most elegant, citrus-focused body that radiates zesty candied lemon freshness.

96 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The NV Brut Grande Cuvée Grand Siècle No. 25 (Magnum) is a Champagne of striking nuance and class. Elegant and restrained in feel, the No.25 is remarkably polished from start to finish. Lemon confit, white flowers, white pepper and citrus oil give the No. 25 brilliant aromatic top notes that add to its chiseled personality. It can be enjoyed now because of its superb balance, or aged for two decades. The blend of vintages - 2008 (60%), 2007 (20%), 2006 (20%) - is especially strong.

95 POINTS

Charles Curtis MW - Decanter

The newest release of Grand Siècle is based upon the superb and structured 2008 vintage (65% of the blend), along with the vivacious 2007 vintage (25%), and the creamy, luxurious 2006 (10%). The final blend is 60% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs and 40% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims. The result at this stage exhibits its Chardonnay character, with toasty notes of ripe pear and spice on the nose and a creamy, silky texture and an edge of citrus. Although elegant and refined at present, the underlying power will doubtless come to the fore with time. Dosage: 7g/L.