Champagne Lallier - Beautiful bubbles from Ay - Free instore tasting - Thursday 12 Oct, 5pm to 7pm
If you're wandering around Wellington tonight between 5pm and 7pm, pop into Regional Wines for a free taste of an exceptional range of bubbles from Champagne Lallier...
Champagne Lallier...
Talk about modest. I'm talking about the price, not the big, beautiful taste of Champagne Lallier, which over deliver for the $50.99 you'll spend on this wine. And the trio of Lallier bubbles will be open for a free tasting tonight at Regional Wines at the Basin Reserve in Wellington from 5pm to 7pm.
Our team here at Regional had the tasty pleasure of checking out Lallier Champagnes this afternoon and, while we've all got our faves, we agreed the rosé was the pick of this beautiful bunch, which range from $23 for a half bottle up to $50.99. That's no mean feat, given the hefty resources of time, reserve wines and grand cru vineyards (the highest quality land) that go into making Lallier Champagne.
When, where and what...
Champagne Lallier is based in... the village of Ay (one of the 17 Grand Cru villages) in the Champagne region.
It was founded in 1906 by... Rene Lallier and the business was sold in 2004 to Francis Tribaut who is the current owner and also the winemaker. This makes Lallier the only champagne brand where the owner is also the winemaker.
The bubbles are made in two locations... in Maison D’Ay and in the new Cellier D’Oger, 10 kms outside of Ay on the Cotes des Blanc; a modern facility built in 2012.
Lallier Champagnes only contain the two most respected grapes... namely, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The wines go through malolactic fermentation, which varies... depending on the vintage and the acidity in the grapes as a result of the vintage.
Dosage varies from zero up to... 18 grams per litre.
The champagnes
Champagne Lallier Ay Brut R012 $46.45
Very fresh, very flavoursome and very affordable; this is made from a blend of 62% Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay and 81% of the wine comes from grapes grown in 2012 (hence the R012 - 'recolte' means year) and 19% reserve wines. It's also drier than many champagnes with a dosage of 8 grams per litre and the wine is made from 85% Grand Cru vineyards.
Champagne Lallier Blanc de Blancs Ay $53.80
This is 100% Chardonnay and all from vineyards that are classified as Grand Cru; 60% from Ay and 40% from Cote des Blancs. The wine spent 36 to 88% wine of the year, 12% reserve wines, aging on lees 36 to 48 months, dosage 9 grams.
Buttered croissant aromas, very strong yeasty flavours, high acidity, great concentration with strong citrus flavours, a full body and a long finish.
Champagne Lallier Rose Grand Cru $50.99
Wine of the year 92%, reserve wines 8%, grand cr vineyards only; 65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay. Pale salmon colour, savoury aromas, yeasty flavours, high acidity, very long finish. Very pronounced mushroom aromas with an explosion of beautiful red fruit flavours in the mouth…