LansonVintageCollection1971

Founded in 1760, Champagne Lanson is one of the oldest producers in the region, with a rich history embedded in the famous city of Reims. The red cross in the logo comes from, Nicolas-Louis Delamotte who in 1798 took over from his father and as a knight of the Order of Malta, decided to use the Maltese Cross as the House’s emblem. Developing steadily and winning numerous awards over the years, they gained real prominence in the 1900s, becoming official supplier to the British court. Lanson has changed ownership many times in the last 50 years, the most significant change in 1990 when it was bought by LVMH who re-sold a few months later in 1991, keeping 210 hectares of vineyards, at the time considered the best vineyard holdings of all the large Maison. In 2006 Lanson became part of what is now the Lanson BCC Group. Today Lanson sources grapes from over 500 hectares across 60 villages.rThe House of Lanson is one of a select few to possess a truly impressive collection of fine vintage champagnes. Each coveted bottle has been carefully crafted by the longstanding Chef des Caves whose passion and devotion complements the classical blending techniques of preceding generations. The marriage of the finest selection of grapes from a single year, each champagne in the Lanson Vintage Collection is the epitome of true craftsmanship and reflects the House’s perpetual quest for excellence. These bottles of 1971 are exceedingly rare and were shipped to us from Lanson in autumn 2023. At this age the bottles will have expected low pressure, with just a very light spritz.rrWeather: The 1971 growing season began with a chilly bone-dry winter and the cool conditions continued into the spring, which saw some nasty frosts damage several vineyards. The haphazard weather continued through to early summer and flowering was disrupted. Conditions failed to improve much with July seeing some significant storms, while August then brought hail. The only saving grace of the season was a spectacular September which saw a hot, dry Indian summer that helped push the grapes to phenolic ripeness while maintaining fresh acidity.Harvest was 18th Sept to 5th Oct. The resulting harvest unsurprisingly ended in a very small yield with good concentration. The best had an elegant, age worthy quality to them and had the potential to cellar well. Overall, the 1971 vintage for Champagne stopped short of legendary, but was still very successful and some excellent wines were made.rrTechnical Information:rVineyards: Chardonny: Avize, Oger, Chouilly, Trépail | Pinot Noir: Verzenay, Mailly, Bouzy, Mareuil sur Ay & DizyrGrape Varieties: 53% Chardonnay 51% Pinot NoirrLees Ageing: 50 YearsrDisgorged: June 2022rDosage: 3 g/LrAlcohol: 12.5%rDrink: Now to 2050+rrTasting Note: At this age the wines have very gentle spritz, almost still wine. A complex nose with forest floor aromas,with toast and coffee grounds, over nuances of brioche and a fully matured nutty caramel character. Full bodied with delicate fine mousse and vibrant acidity, with citrus and red fruit flavours with a long lingering finish and opened up further with time in glass to reveal rich apricot and honey nuances.