By now, most everyone is aware that we landed a mixed “unicorn” batch of biodynamic cult superstar Benoît Lahaye earlier this year containing his Brut Nature (sold out), Blanc de Noirs (sold out), 2014 Millésime (sold out), and a Violaine/Grosse Pierre two-pack (sold out). Today’s Blanc de Blancs is the fifth and final piece, and to be 100% transparent, I had no earthly idea it existed up until arrival. I consulted all (five) of my Champagne books and after turning up with bupkis, decided to put in a few phone calls. That’s when I learned that Benoît Lahaye’s 4.8 hectares of vines weren’t confined to the Montagne de Reims: a mere .12 of them were situated down in the Côte des Blancs, in a small village of Voipreux, in a tiny vineyard called Les Mont-Ferrés. In fact, this parcel is so small and precious, two things must happen in order to produce today’s tremendously rare wine: (1) Lahaye employs the help of another biodynamic superstar, Pierre Larmandier, to tend these vines since he lives just minutes from the vineyard, and (2) Lahaye must blend two vintages together in order to emerge with any substantial amount of wine.
Today’s rare Champagne sighting is a fusion of 2014 & 2015 that was barrel fermented with indigenous yeasts, bottled without sulfur, and corked without any dosage. Let me clear, though: this is not a sparkling wine for those who desire ripe, brioche-y opulence, but rather for those who geek out over finesse, terroir expression, and 100% unadulterated Champagne in the glass. You can either decant and treat it like a fine white Burgundy, or experience its ferocious energy in flared tulips; the choice is yours—a choice only a few will ever be lucky to have.
Benoît Lahaye is among Champagne's most respected, talented, and high-in-demand producers. His micro-production cult bottlings categorically reign as some of the most spellbindingly natural and authentic Champagnes in history. Certified Organic and Biodynamic. Manual plowing with his Auxois horse. Spontaneous fermentation in barrel. Low-to-no sulfur additions. Tiny, handmade production. There’s a reason his name reverberates off every upscale wine bar, decorates the finest wine lists, and is proudly displayed in the cellars of fine wine collectors. In other words, if you’re a true admirer of the unique terroir and identity of this world-renowned region, Lahaye is an essential luxury.
Lahaye is a man who’s spent his entire adult life committed to organically and biodynamically his 4.8 hectares, four of which are located in the Grand Cru locales of Bouzy (home base) and Ambonnay. Benoît joined his family estate in 1993 and immediately began walking the road towards natural farming. Today, after being fully organic for the past 17 years and fully biodynamic for 10, Lahaye’s champagnes are the epitome of terroir-authentic wines.
While the overwhelming majority of Lahaye’s 4.8 hectares are planted to Pinot Noir in Montagne de Reims, he also owns a tiny parcel of Chardonnay in the village of Voipreux. It is here, in the southern tip of the Côte de Blancs (Chardonnay country), where you’ll find his .12-hectare “Les Mont-Ferrés” vineyard. Because of its location, Lahaye taps the shoulder of his close biodynamic-minded friend Pierre Larmandier, stationed in neighboring Premier Cru Vertus, to naturally farm this sliver of land during the growing season. Come harvest, Lahaye hand picks this minuscule Chardonnay crop by hand. In his cellar, the Chardonnay naturally ferments in old French oak barrels and malolactic is never forced—if it happens, it happens. Again, because Lahaye’s parcel is so small, this Blanc de Blancs is a fusion of the 2014 and 2015 vintages. The wines were blended and bottled unfiltered without any sulfur in early 2016 and after 3.5+ years of maturation, they were disgorged with a zero-gram dosage in October of 2019.
In my experience, Lahaye’s wines gain further complexity as they open up with oxygen, so serve this in all-purpose stems around 50-55 degrees and allow it ample time in the glass or decant the wine briefly and serve in a large Burgundy stem. For this special Blanc de Blancs, I preferred the latter, and found the wine to be infinitely more generous and sublime. Having blown through the initial line of fierce carbonation, it emitted harmonious notes of white pear, white peach skin, crisp yellow apple, salt-preserved lemon, chalk, crushed shells, lime blossoms, toasted nuts, and fresh white flowers. The palate is laser-focused and pure from start to finish, with layers of intense chalk minerality paving the way. I cannot stress this enough: Give it time, and the wine will sing—I even highly recommend saving some for the following day. Ultimately, anyone who swoons for mineral-driven, nervy, highly energized Champagne is bound to fall deeply in love with this rare cuvée. Enjoy.
