The Lelarge family have been growers in Champagne since 1799. Fast forward to 1983, when 7th generation Dominique Lelarge headed to Beaune to study viticulture and oenology. It was here he met his future wife, Dominique Pugeot and in 1985 the couple took over reign of the winery and it became Lelarge-Pugeot. Two of their three children, Clemence and Valantin now work at the estate also.
Lelarge-Pugeot has 8.7 hectares of vines in and around Vrigny, a premier cru village located in Petite Montagne de Reims. The vineyards are spread over 42 distinct parcels, 4.4 hectares planted to Meunier, 2.8 to Pinot Noir and 1.5 to Chardonnay.
The NV blend always sets the tone for a Champagne house and how it expresses its sense of place. The Brut Tradition from Lelarge-Pugeot is an impressive display of what Vrigny is all about, Pinot Meunier.
Holding sway as the major part of the blend this is round and full yet crisp, a little saline and superbly drinkable.
Plenty of complexity for those that wish to dive in, beautiful honeyed pastry shop smells but none of the sweetness.
This is an excellent gateway into not only a fantastic new producer here in Australia, but also a region that is throwing the spotlight firmly onto a special and under utilised varietal in Pinot Meunier.