Paul Lebrun Champagne Tasting
This month, we hosted a lovely evening tasting Paul Lebrun Champagne in West Sussex. Guests were invited to sample four of their cuvées – the Carte d’Or, the Extra Brut, the Grand Reserve and the Prestige.
Each is distinctive in its own right and made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. The Paul Lebrun vines grow in the prestigious Côte des Blancs in Cramant, one of the villages classified as Grand Cru in Champagne. The unique character and the rich taste of Chardonnay come from the grape, which is grown on chalky soils south of Épernay and rich in rolled pebbles in Sézanne, which are rare in the Champagne vineyards. The exceptional terroir and their family’s expertise ensure that the Champagne beats the big brands in many taste tests.
The Champagne tasting was hosted in a beautiful 18th-century home in the village of Midhurst. The evening explored the character of each cuvée, and guests rated each one based on their personal tastes, not on what the critics or experts say. Although we reveal those! Here are what the guests thought of the four Champagnes, and we will reveal the winner a little later.
Carte d’Or Brut
Taste test:
Light, spicy, sweet, and flowery, with a short finish, but very drinkable and citrusy. All the tasters thought that this was a great Champagne to welcome guests.
Awards:
Bronze Medal 2020 at the International Wine Challenge.
Cuvée Prestige Brut
Excellent balance and long-lasting with more body. Hints of marshmallow, bubbly and rich, refined and mature. This one tastes more ‘Champagny’ with a classic, long finish. One guest said it was perfect.
Chef’s opinion:
Tim Whittam (private chef) said, “There was much surprise at just what a superb paring the Cuvée Prestige was with the peppery richness of a traditional haggis and how the Champagne almost cleansed the palette for the next onslaught of haggis.”
Extra Brut
Taste test:
Bold, classic and less sweet, but more traditional and bubbly. With a short finish.
Professional Review:
Guide Hachette: “Discreet on the first nose, this Chardonnay vinified in extra-brut releases elegant notes of white flowers, grapefruit and pineapple upon aeration. An aromatic freshness found in a fleshy mouth, dense without heaviness. The note would have been even higher with a little more length. Drink with a scallop carpaccio.”
Awards:
2019 Gold Medal at the International Wine Challenge.
Grand Reserve
Taste test:
Fruity, great with desserts, slightly sweeter, ideal for brunch and wedding breakfasts, relaxed, smooth, light, young with hints of tropical fruit.
Professional Review:
www.vinspeaker.net “What I especially like about this wine is the fact that it stays true to itself through time and age. A true aperitif Champagne, it is rich and fragrant as it should be. It is opulent and generous, like a burlesque dancer. [… ]Rich certainly, but endowed with a persistent and fine bubble, as well as the usual freshness of the Côte des Blancs, it caresses your tongue and tickles your palate at the same time. It will entertain you on its own while waiting to sit down to eat, but it will also appreciate the company of a savoury cheese pastry.”
There was a clear ‘perfect’ winner, but all four Champagnes were highly revered. The Cuvée Prestige Brut was the unanimous choice, thanks to its long-lasting finish, body and excellent balance. Unlike the other three, which were enjoyable and very drinkable, the group thought that the Cuvée Prestige Brut was more ‘Champagny’ with a classic, long finish. It’s a Champagne ideal for any affair, as an aperitif for gastronomy. It pairs beautifully with carpaccio of white fish or fresh seafood, desserts, and special occasions.