What is a vintage Champagne?

In Champagne, every cuvée is the result of meticulous selection. Yet, in certain years, nature offers such perfect harmony that the Houses decide to craft a Vintage. A Vintage Champagne is made exclusively from grapes harvested in a single year — one deemed exceptional in quality. Unlike Non-Vintage champagnes (Brut Sans Année – BSA), which blend several harvests to express a consistent house style, the Vintage embodies the unique character of an outstanding year.

A Vintage Champagne is never improvised — it is created with precision and rigor.

• – Selection of grape varieties and crus: great vintages are born from the finest terroirs, often classified as Grands Crus or Premiers Crus, where Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and sometimes Meunier reach their purest expression.
• – Choice of the year: only harvests of exceptional quality — achieving a perfect balance between ripeness and freshness — are deemed worthy of being declared a vintage.
• – Ageing: according to Champagne regulations, a Vintage Champagne must age for a minimum of three years on its lees. However, the greatest Houses, such as Laurent-Perrier, often extend this maturation to seven, eight, or even ten years, allowing the wine to reveal its full aromatic complexity and the finesse of its bubbles.

Thus, a vintage is not only a reflection of terroir and year — it is also the imprint of time and the mark of a House’s savoir‑faire.

• – Non-Vintage (Brut Sans Année – BSA): a blend of several years, representing the continuous and consistent signature of a Champagne House.
• – Vintage: the unique expression of a remarkable year — not an attempt to replicate a house style, but to elevate the singular personality of that harvest.

If the Non‑Vintage Champagne is the backbone of a House, then the Vintage is its crescendo — its moment of brilliance.

Champagne lovers and connoisseurs traditionally classify vintages according to their quality.
Here is a summary table:

Each House interprets these years through its own style, revealing distinct expressions of the same harvest.

Tasting a Vintage Champagne requires attention and respect — every cuvée tells its own story.

• – Serving: the ideal temperature is between 9°C and 11°C (48–52°F) to preserve finesse and freshness.
• – Glassware: choose a fine white wine glass or a tulip‑shaped flute, which both concentrate the aromas and allow the bubbles to unfold gracefully.
• – The moment: a vintage deserves time; it reveals itself progressively, layer by layer — from fruit to maturity, from freshness to complexity.

The ideal pairing depends on the age and profile of the vintage:

The rarity of a vintage naturally explains its value:

1. – Rigorous selection: only the most exceptional years are chosen.
2. – Extended ageing: long maturation in the cellar increases production costs.
3. – Limited production: far rarer than Non‑Vintage cuvées, vintages are coveted by enthusiasts and collectors alike.

A Vintage Champagne is therefore a cuvée of patience, rarity, and excellence.

True to its high standards, Laurent‑Perrier chooses to declare a vintage only when nature provides a harvest in perfect harmony with the House’s spirit — freshness, purity, and elegance.
While some Houses release vintages almost every year (such as Pol Roger, Bollinger, or Moët & Chandon), Laurent‑Perrier reserves this honor for only the most exceptional years.

Recent Laurent‑Perrier Vintages

1. – 2015: solar balance, intensity, and richness.
2. – 2012: great freshness, mineral tension, and depth.
3. – 2008: a legendary year — purity and crystalline precision.
4. – 2007: delicacy, elegance, and fine acidity.
5. – 2006: roundness, ripe fruit, suppleness.
6. – 2004: subtlety, harmony, and remarkable length
7. – 2002: amplitude and richness, considered one of the greatest modern vintages.

Through these rare cuvées, Laurent‑Perrier celebrates only the exceptional — revealing the truth of a year without ever forcing it.

What Is a Vintage Champagne?

It is, above all, the singular expression of an exceptional year, elevated by the savoir‑faire of the Champagne Houses. For Laurent‑Perrier, a vintage is not routine — it is a rare and precious celebration, reserved only for the years that truly deserve it.

Each bottle becomes a meeting of time, nature, and artistry — the ultimate harmony of Champagne.