It was quite the event at The Fine Wine Source featuring the first time in Detroit as well as in America of Constance Delaire, the Chief Oenologist and Winemaker for Laurent Perrier.  There were three one-hour sessions held at the shop, plus an additional one that evening at Vertical Detroit.  Vertical Detroit also furnished a large charcuterie board for the event.  My Bride and I stayed in the background, so that I could do my questionable form of photography and take notes, and it was so crowded that neither of us even ventured to try to avail ourselves of the food.

The next wine that we had was Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Iteration No. 26 NV or Grand Siècle par Laurent-Perrier No. 26 NV.  Grand Siècle is the house’s prestige cuvée, that was first released in 1959.  This unusual prestige Champagne is a blend of three vintages, as the house seeks to consistently produce a wine with the quality of a theoretical vintage release form a perfect year.  The name Grand Siècle (Great Century) evokes the 17^th Century under Louis XIV, the Sun King, the architect of harmony, balance and perfection of France.  This house special cuvée was originally created in 1959, and this Iteration No. 26 identifies how many times this blend has been created.  A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with an assemblage of great cru plots with eighty-five percent 2012, twenty-five percent 2007 and ten percent 2012; and aged for ten years on the lees. This white-golden colored wine with delicate and persistent bubbles offered notes of clementines, lemons and stone fruits, honeysuckle, butter, anise, hazelnut and honey.  On the palate this full-bodied, well-balanced sparkling wine displayed tones of stone fruit, citrus zest, herbs, yeast and a delicate mousse all blended seamlessly and ending with a silky long-count finish of fruit, spices and minerals. 

The penultimate wine of the tasting was Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Iteration No 24 NV or Grand Siècle par Laurent-Perrier No. 24 NV. While the house’s prestige cuvée began in 1959, the listing of “Iteration” began with number 24.  This wine is a blend of sixty percent of 2007, twenty percent of 2006 and twenty percent of 2004.  The wine is a blend of fifty percent Chardonnay and fifty percent Pinot Noir; and the Chardonnay plots were all from Grand Cru vineyards in Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger and Le Mesnil sur-Oger, while the Pinot Noirs were also from Grand Cru vineyards in Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy, Verzenay, Tours-sur-Marne and Mailly.  The wine was aged for ten years on the lees, disgorged with a dosage of 7 grams/liter and then an additional year in the bottle. A very pale golden colored wine with fine and persistent bubbles offered notes of mangos, pears and lemons along with white florals, honey, spices, hazelnuts and a whiff of gunpowder.  On the palate this full bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of stone fruits, citrus, nuts blending finely with a delicate mousse and toasted brioche ending with a long-count finish of fruit, almonds, honey, spices and some terroir.

The final wine of the evening was Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Rosé Brut Champagne NV.  This wine was created in 1968, during a period when Rosé Champagne was not in vogue.  I have read that this is the most popular wine of this genre.  The wine is pure Pinot Noir and comes from ten different Crus around Montagne de Reims with a good proportion from Grand Crus. The grapes are sorted and destemmed before vatting in Stainless-Steel.  The maceration period can be up to seventy-two hours, which helps for the extraction of color and ensures the aromas are rich. The wine is aged for five years on the lees, before disgorgement of about 9grams/Liter.  This salmon-pink colored wine with fine and persistent bubbles offered notes of raspberry, currants, strawberry and cherry.  On the palate this full-bodied and well balanced wine displayed tones of a cornucopia of red berries, especially raspberries blending with a wonderful, toasted brioche and ending with a smooth long-count finish of raspberry, lemon zest and a soft mousse with crisp acidity.