LAURENT-PERRIER UNVEILS BRUT MILLÉSIMÉ 2018 IN ITS SIGNATURE SHIELD BOTTLE

Laurent-Perrier has revealed its latest vintage Champagne: Brut Millésimé 2018, the House’s 32nd declared vintage, presented in the generously curved shield bottle associated with several of its distinguished cuvées. Released in May 2026 after more than seven years of ageing in the cellar, the wine reflects both the conditions of the 2018 growing season and Laurent-Perrier’s preference for declaring a vintage only when the year offers the quality and character it seeks.

The 2018 growing season began with a mild winter and spring, accompanied by rainfall that encouraged the development of the vines from budburst in mid-April. Flowering followed in early June. Summer brought warm, sunny conditions that supported the maturation of the grapes, while harvesting began towards the end of August under stable weather. According to Laurent-Perrier, the resulting grapes were marked by both quality and generosity, providing the foundation for a balanced and expressive vintage.

For a vintage Champagne, the conditions of a particular year are central to the identity of the wine. Unlike a non-vintage blend, which can combine wines from several harvests to achieve a consistent house style, a millésimé is produced around the character of a single declared year. Laurent-Perrier takes a selective approach, choosing to declare vintages only in what it considers the very best years. The 2018 release therefore represents a specific moment in the vineyards rather than simply another expression of the House’s broader collection.

The composition of Brut Millésimé 2018 is 52 per cent Chardonnay and 48 per cent Pinot Noir. The Chardonnay comes from Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte des Blancs, including Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize, Cramant and Chouilly, while the Pinot Noir is drawn from Grand Cru vineyards in the Montagne de Reims, including Verzy, Louvois, Aÿ, Tours-sur-Marne and Ambonnay.

The regional composition gives the wine a carefully defined geographical foundation. Chardonnay contributes freshness and a fine, lifted quality, while Pinot Noir brings structure and breadth. Laurent-Perrier’s choice of fruit from both the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims allows the vintage to express the relationship between these two important areas of Champagne.

Ageing has also played a considerable role. Brut Millésimé 2018 remained in the cellar for more than seven years before its release, allowing the wine additional time to develop. It is presented in the same shield-shaped bottle used for Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé, Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature and Héritage. Its broad, curved silhouette gives the vintage a distinctive physical identity while connecting it to other significant expressions within the House’s portfolio.

In the glass, the wine appears pale gold, with fine and delicate bubbles forming a persistent bead of foam. The aromatic profile opens with freshness, led by citrus notes, particularly pink grapefruit, alongside stone-fruit impressions of vine peach and mirabelle plum. These aromas give the wine an immediate sense of brightness without suggesting excessive weight.

The palate develops with a precise, lively attack before moving towards sweeter, more rounded flavours. Candied citrus, particularly clementine, is accompanied by pastry nuances and notes of acacia honey. The progression is balanced by a slightly mineral, delicately saline finish, which brings length and keeps the overall impression fresh.

The recommended serving temperature is 9°C to 11°C. Laurent-Perrier suggests pairing the vintage with seafood, noble fish and white meats, while more specific combinations include oysters with seaweed butter, lemon-infused chicken supreme and cheese soufflé. The House also lists scallops served with champagne sauce and thinly sliced cuttlefish among its more elaborate pairing suggestions.

These pairings reflect the wine’s balance between freshness, fruit and savoury depth. Seafood can emphasise its saline character, while dishes with delicate richness provide a counterpoint to the wine’s acidity and citrus notes. A cheese soufflé, meanwhile, introduces a softer, more rounded texture against the fine effervescence.

Laurent-Perrier’s history is closely rooted in the vineyards of Champagne. The House was founded in 1812 in Tours-sur-Marne by André-Michel Pierlot, a former cooper and bottler who established himself as a Champagne wine merchant in the Grand Cru village situated at the meeting point of the region’s principal vineyard areas. The business later passed to his son and then to cellar master Eugène Laurent. Following Laurent’s death in 1887, his widow, Mathilde-Emilie Perrier, took over the House and combined her surname with his, creating the name Laurent-Perrier. In 1889, she introduced a “Grand Vin Sans Sucre”, an early indication of the House’s willingness to pursue a style that reflected both personal taste and the preferences of its British clientele.

Today, Laurent-Perrier describes itself as a family-owned and independent Champagne House. Its approach has been shaped by three particular areas of expertise: blending reserve wines, the maceration of Pinot Noir, and non-dosage. The House also highlights its commitment to sustainable viticulture in the Champagne vineyards.

Its current official store locator provides a tool for finding Laurent-Perrier stockists by location, while the House’s online purchasing information directs customers towards selected retail partners rather than presenting a conventional global network of branded boutiques. Because the current official locator does not provide a consistently verifiable city-by-city boutique directory in its public results, no additional city locations are listed here.

With Brut Millésimé 2018, Laurent-Perrier has chosen to let a particular year speak for itself. The warmth and stability of the 2018 season are reflected in the wine’s generous fruit, while extended cellar ageing and the combination of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir lend it structure and depth. Presented in the House’s distinctive shield bottle, it sits at an intersection of heritage and a single, clearly defined moment in the vineyards.

A vintage Champagne ultimately records more than a harvest: it preserves the conditions of a particular year in a form that can be revisited long after the grapes have left the vine. Brut Millésimé 2018 offers Laurent-Perrier’s interpretation of that record — precise, expressive, and shaped by the passage of time beneath the cellar.